Code Geass: Memories of What Could Have Been
by Caimthehero
Summary: What if Codes and Geass never existed. With the annexation of Area 11 the war machine known as Britannia keeps expanding its might. Conflict is emerging with the world on the brink of war. Lelouch, the eleventh prince of Britannia, is determined to become the catalyst to lead Britannia towards their ultimate goal, world domination. Genres AU, Drama, Romance, and Action.
1. Prologue

Suzaku was devastated. War had always seemed to be a meaningless concept to him, until today. The Britannian invasion was swift and merciless. The city he had been in was one of the first assaulted with the blitzkrieg.

Genbu Kururugi was in the city on a request to see the new tank in the base. He had brought Suzaku and Kaguya with him as they toured the buildings. Suzaku held the soldiers in high esteem as he looked in awe. He was going to be one of them someday. He was predestined for it. His sensei Tohdoh had told him so. Although Suzaku was ecstatic to be here it still tasted bittersweet knowing why he was.

Suzaku knew that the negotiations with Brittania were going south but he had no idea how badly until that day. He watched from a room in the command center as a Brittanian planes zoomed above the sky. They were made for an airdrop as their payload descended towards the earth. The four iron giants marveled Suzaku as they struck the ground and rose to enormous heights.

It hadn't taken thirty seconds for the alarm to sound. The defense came immediately with the twenty tanks shelling the new foes. The knightmares were agile though and were able to dodge the single shots. Within a few minutes the entirety of the tanks had been destroyed at the cost of one knightmare. Then they opened fire on the foot soldiers.

Suzaku witnessed in horror at the onslaught that could only be called a massacre. Genbu rushed in a moment later.

"Suzaku come here, we need to go"

The impact of the words instantly hit Suzaku. He grabbed his cousin's hand next to him and sprinted out of the room. They ran through the base making it to their driver. Genbu pushed the children in before jumping in the car himself as it peeled out of the base. Suzaku haphazardly glanced back to be greeted by the view of thousands of foot soldiers storming the base with the knightmares standing there as guardians above the carnage. There was no going back from this. War had finally broken out.

* * *

It was 2010 the year Japan was invaded. Lelouch was with his little sister Nunally watching the news on the television. She was restless constantly jumping around the television.

"When is she gonna be on I'm tired of waiting,"

"Be patient Nunally. It's been two days since we saw her last surely you can wait a few more minutes,"

Nunally's scowled for a moment before her she flopped onto the couch. Lelouch was a little annoyed with her but understood. He also wished the video feed would hurry up. The Brittanian Assault had started in the morning there and were quickly bringing Japan to its heel. That meant it was late night in the capital city of Pendragon. They had managed to convince their guard Jeremiah Gottwald to let them stay up, at least until Marianne was shown. Gottwald had proven easy for Lelouch to convince, most likely because he wanted to see Marianne as well.

The news cut back to the anchors as the front line was no longer in view. The anchors were reporting on the first blitzkrieg assault led by three knights of the round. In most battles a single knight of the round may have been on the scene. For three to be ordered into the fight it could mean just two things. One the emperor was determined to have Japan. Two the Japanese were in deep trouble.

"Yes, we have confirmed that the new super weapon is being used in this first assault. We have live video being streamed from our correspondents on the mainland,"

"We are here on the beach as the Britanian army continues to obliterate the opposition. Behind me you can see the giant metal mobile armor now being dubbed the knightmare,"

The camera zoomed in on the machines lingering on the purple machine in the middle of the four. Saying that it was massive was an understatement. It was easily over fifteen feet tall and was incredibly agile with the wheels on its feet. The knightmare took one step forward as it challenged the five tanks in front of it. The knightmare lowered its hand as the landspinners on its feet revved. The tanks preemptively fired knowing they didn't want to see what this new weapon was capable of. The pilot of the purple machine was too quick. Like a flash of light the knightmare zoomed straight towards the tank dodging the three shells on target by a hairs breadth. As the knightmare reached the first tank it quickly showed off its strength by throwing one tank onto another. It then pulled out the handgun attached to the right arm and fired three shots piercing the tanks. The knightmare destroyed five Japanese tanks in a row without so much as a scratch.

Lelouch smirked. At this rate Japan would be conquered in a month and his mother would be home in time for his first real test. She had promised that if he won the junior chess title that she would finally grant his biggest request.

Lelouch knew why she wanted him to start to showcase his abilities early. It was because the Vi Brittania line were commoner royalty. Royal only on their father's side, and as such most other royals held them with contempt. It didn't matter though, it was like his father always said "The only thing that matters is the ability to produce results." His chess win had certainly displayed his prowess despite being two years younger than the age of his opponent. The championship match had been completely one sided. Leave it to a noble's son to underestimate Lelouch because of his age and blood. He probably owed his brother Schniezel for that, not that he would ever admit it. After playing at least a game a week against him Lelouch's own game had improved exponentially. Although he still hadn't managed to glean a single win against Schniezel. Now opponents his own age were just child's play. He would think of a way to pay him back quickly. It was never a wise idea to stay in debt to any member of the royal family.

Nunally shouts brought Lelouch back to reality.

"Look Lelouch, Look, That's mom outside of that Knightmare," she said smiling. Jerking his head toward the screen Lelouch was greeted to a picture of their mother. It was no surprise to him that she was the pilot of that purple knightmare. She stood outside of the cockpit posing for the camera. No doubt that picture would be used as a recruitment poster. Marianne looked brave and powerful on top of the knightmare in her purple military uniform. A true inspiration for everyone aspiring to be a soldier.

Now as soon as this war was over she would come back and teach him. She had to. He had never known his mother to break a promise. Without a doubt she would keep this one even if it went against her motherly instincts.

"Alright children you got to see your mother, now it's way past your bedtimes," Jeremiah said as he strolled in. Lelouch was originally surprised Gottwald was still here when his master was in the soon to be area. As a member of her royal guard Jeremiah had always admired lady Marianne and would do anything she asked of him. When she told him to stay in the Aries villa with Lelouch and Nunally he was hesitant at first until she told him that Jeremiah was the only person she could trust to look after her children that long. From that moment on he was putty in her hands.

"I don't wanna go to sleep. I'm not even tired," complained Nunally as she ran from Jermiah. Gottwald laughed to himself as he started to chase her. Nunally would get tired eventually but at least this time Lelouch wouldn't have to carry her to bed. It irritated him to say the least, compounded by the fact that he is rather skinny making it much more difficult.

Nunally had only lasted five minutes after her declaration before she folded over the couch. Lelouch yawned right as Jeremiah picked Nunally up. He was fine going to sleep now. Lelouch had seen his mother and that was what mattered. He walked with Jeremiah up the stairs as he carried the princess. He got in bed counting down the days he would be reunited with his mother, and how she would teach him to pilot a knightmare.

* * *

Author Note: Hi and thanks for reading my first chapter. Just a bit of information for you about the story I intend to write. To start off I am making two drastic changes to the story line. One Geass never existed. Two Marianne wasn't assassinated. Needless to say this changes almost everything in Code Geass. Character Interpretation will have a vastly different interpretation because how I think they would act with Marianne still alive. One example of this would be now Lelouch is a little more idealistic and a lot better fighter. The way I see it is Lelouch is a Char Clone so if I'm taking away his backstory I must compensate elsewhere which will be his piloting skills. Also please remember that in chess the king is the third strongest piece on the board. Plus when you're raised around Marianne, Bismark, and Jeremiah there's no way you don't grow up to be a kick ass pilot. I will try and fit as many canon characters as I can but I might have to make OCs.

Last tell me what you think about the story. If you like it let me know. If you don't like it tell me why. I am always trying to improve my writing and while I don't expect to please everyone I will try to nevertheless.


	2. The Knight Returns

Author Note: Hey everybody, I want to let you all know that I will try and respond to all reviewers questions in author notes before the chapter or possibly in the chapter(as long as it doesn't include spoilers). In the author notes after the chapter I will give updated liberties I've taken with the story. Now onto the questions. Scarred Seeker Marianne is still a mostly retired knight of the round but was called into action because of the importance of this assault. Lunanite I am debating on how I could put CC into the story but it will definitely be under artistic liberties if I do seeing as in canon she would be dead, I will have to ask for your patience for this. jeneparlepasFRC I'm going to try and make the updates longer as I go and as for Nunally she is going to get a massive change in personality due to the fact that her life shaping event was just rewritten. She will probably be the character that changes the most. She definitely will be more independent but anything more than that might be telling. Let's just say I picture them more as a normal sibling relationship now versus the brother, nurse, sole reason for living relationship they had in the anime. Also this is mainly going to be a fic about Lelouch and his battles. He will not be actively be playing the game of thrones and becoming a politician like Schniezel. Instead I see him as more of a Cornelia/Marianne combined with his chess master tendencies.

Lelouch was smiling. He couldn't help it, he was happy. He was used to not showing his emotions. If you were to survive in the Brittanian court you had to be a true actor, always wearing a mask. Therefore he didn't like to show his emotions but today was different. Today Marianne would be coming home.

The war had gone along with his prediction and had lasted a little less than a month. The Prime Minister had advocated for do or die resistance which stretched out the conflict. Unfortunately as they were facing Brittania saying that was as condemning as a suicide note. It ended when Bismark and Marianne had taken a troop of knightmares into Tokyo. The Japanese had fought valiantly but against the two strongest knights of the round it would only be in vain. The knights had captured all of the generals and most of the political leaders and had been brought to Pendragon to await their trials and, inevitably, executions. To most Britannians to stand against them was an offense only punishable by death.

It was regrettable but necessary due to the fact that Japan had the largest sakuradite supply in the world. For the new knightmares sakuradite was the only power source with enough energy to be practical. Any argument against the use of knightmares was now utterly obliterated with their success in the newly dubbed Area 11. They had made a vast difference in casualties and capturing potential. The Japanese simply had no way of countering the sheer ferocity of the metal knights.

The only battle in which the Japanese won had come at Itsukushima. It had come as a shock to the empire. Up until that point the Japanese had taken out a combined total of three knightmares. Seeing the magnificent results of their new super weapons the knight of five had tried to take Itsukushima with only his knightmare and a one hundred man unit. He didn't know that the best Japanese strategist was in the base.

* * *

Tohdoh had been baffled when he saw the troops marching towards his base. The Britannians had been relentless in their systematic destruction of Japan, but as the war dragged on they were relying much more heavily on the knightmares. It was as if they believed them invincible.

When he heard the knight of five was marching he had prepared for the worst. All of his preparations had been set for a force of at least ten thousand. When his scouts reported in he quickly berated them for their lack of intelligence. There was simply no way that the enemy would have that small a force. He thought the men had only seen a portion of the invaders before the coward turned tail and ran for safety. When they finally made it into eyesight he was simply astounded at the sheer audacity of the knight.

His intelligence network was right on point with everything. As soon as the knightmare was within a kilometer the first trap sprang. The C4 crippled the knightmare and as it sank down to one knee it fell into the pitfall ensnaring it even further. Then they ambushed them and wiped out the enemy. The Japanese didn't suffer a casualty in the one-sided battle. Before the knight of five could be captured and the machine salvaged he took his own life with a self destruct mechanism. He knew how powerful this type of technology could be in enemy hands. Tohdoh admired the pure heart of the commander willing to pay the ultimate price instead of handing the machine over.

The Japanese had celebrated that night drinking to their hearts content. Even the stoic Tohdoh had a bit of sake with his men. Hung over and proud they waited for Brittania to make its next move. Unfortunately the next assault had been led by The Flash commanding around twenty thousand men and a half dozen knightmares.

Unlike the previous knight of the round Marianne held back while she sent her foot soldiers in under the cover of two knightmares. This time the soldiers had been prepared for the environmental traps and had evaded most of them with only one knightmare being crippled a c4 pitfall. The Japanese had peppered the soldiers with machine gun fire all through their march to the base but only rockets seemed to even affect the knightmares.

It was a bloody march to the wall but once a safe path had been established the five knighmares that had hung back blazed into the fray. From that bleak situation Tohdoh knew the best tactic was to retreat and fight another day. They might have been forced to retreat but not without cost to Britannia. It was the only battle where the Britannian death toll capped two thousand while the Japanese had lost roughly the same. It proved that the Japanese could keep up with the Britannians. They even disabled two of the knightmares before the battle finished. Still nothing could truly prolong the life of Japan as Bismark and Marianne raged across the countryside.

* * *

Lelouch and Jeremiah had been waiting on the air strip for an hour now. It seemed that even being back in the military couldn't break Marianne of her knack to always show up late. Nunally had wanted to come with them but their mother's flight was scheduled to come in around 6 a.m. When Lelouch had come to see if she had been getting ready his sister looked like an angel sleeping on the bed. She might be mad at him but he just didn't have the heart to disturb his six year old baby sister when she looked so tranquil. If he knew that they could've come an hour later Lelouch would've gotten more sleep too. Hell they probably still would've gotten there before his mother.

"Do you see any planes Jeremiah?" the prince grumbled.

"No your highness. The empress flight left a few hours ago so she should be coming any minute now." Lelouch knew what that meant. With his mother any minute now meant within the hour and a thirty minute wait could turn into half the day. Lelouch decided if his mother was going to was his time then he didn't have to be entirely clean when she arrived.

"Jeremiah I'm going to head to the bathroom,"

"Alright my prince, do you want me to go with you,"

"Please Jeremiah I am nine years old, I can go to the bathroom myself," Lelouch countered a little condescension in his voice. Even if he was a prince Lelouch was sure that he didn't need someone following him into the bathroom. Besides if Gottwald followed him his plan would be. Luckily Jeremiah just nodded as he continued searching through the sky.

As soon as he was out of Gottwald's sight Lelouch started exploring the landing. It was pretty much just a single airstrip for VIPs where they wouldn't be bothered. He'd never seen his mother at a regular airport however. He was searching for awhile before he smirked.

"Bingo," Lelouch smiled as he appraised a tree. It was at least fifteen feet high and would allow Lelouch a better view of the sky. It seemed sturdy enough as Lelouch approached. He quickly threw down his jacket into the grass and began to scale the tree. He made it up halfway before he ripped a small hole in his pants.

"Oh well, sorry mom," Lelouch laughed to himself as he continued climbing. When he finally reached the highest sturdy branch Lelouch glanced down. He was around fifteen feet high and had a little dizziness come on. He grabbed the trunk to steady himself before sitting down and looking into the sky. It was a beautiful ocean blue as the sun kept rising. He wondered if this is what the view was like from a knightmare. He felt like he could stay up there all day when he began hearing Gottwald call.

"Your highness, where are you? Your mother is here."

Lelouch was about to come down when a thought struck him. If he had to always wait for his mother she could wait for him today too. Lelouch happily went back to pretending to be a knightmare pilot as Jeremiah scurried away to greet the empress.

Jeremiah had been gone for about thirty minutes before Lelouch heard him calling his name again. Except this time there was a feminine voice with him.

"Lelouch, honey where are you? Mommy's home," Marianne said. Lelouch gaze snapped over to see his mother. Like usual she was a vision of beauty except this time in a combat uniform. She was wearing her knight of the rounds uniform with white slack and jacket with an off purple and gold trim. She looked worried to Lelouch and couldn't restrain himself form calling out.

"Mom, Mom I'm over here,"

Marianne turned her head to see her son sitting atop a high branch on a nearby tree. She started bounding towards Lelouch. Her face looked scared to him when he realized how he must look to her. His mom had always been the overprotective type when she was around.

"Lelouch get down from there now! But do it carefully," she yelled as she continued running towards him. He frowned and started to comply when his foot hit a lower branch wrong and snapped under the pressure.

Time felt as though it had stopped as Lelouch had plummeted towards the ground. The only word he thought of was one that would only get him in more trouble. He closed his eyes and braced for impact before crashing down. He realized the ground felt a lot softer than he thought it would when he dared to peek through his eyes.

His had landed right on top of his mom. He looked up to see his mom's face a mixture of relief and anger. He had one shot.

Lelouch quickly threw his arms around his mother into a tight hug.

"Mom I've missed you so much."

"I've missed you too sweetie, but don't think I'm going to forget about this that easy."

"I'm in trouble aren't I?"

"Big, even more so now that I can see your pants are ripped" Marianne said with a smirk. Lelouch frowned before ducking his head sheepishly. Like always she had a plan to give Lelouch an unusual punishment.

"I'm guessing this is a bad time to ask you about my knightmare training then huh."

* * *

Author Note: The knight of five is just an unnamed knight to help explain why some of the seats are empty. Plus I thought it would be a good show of Tohdoh's strategic ability to have him beat a Knight of the round who had gotten just a little bit too arrogant and underestimated the Japanese, which are definitely fatal flaws in war. Also just to give you a forewarning now, strategy will trump knightmare and individual performance. In the anime as knightmares' potential increased it was shown that one or two characters could change an entire battle. They could be completely surrounded and emerge unscathed. THIS IS IMPOSSIBLE IN REAL LIFE. There are definitely ways to take out enemies when you are outnumbered but not to those degrees. I will be trying to keep this as realistic as possible taking into consideration that I am writing about giant robots. Finally it will take me a little while to get to canon age but please bare with me as I feel I can only skip so much without showing character development as well as setting a base for the future chapters.

If you like the story let me know, if you don't like the story tell me why. Thanks and I hoped you enjoyed reading.

Disclaimer: I do not own Code Geass. If I did Ohgi, Villeta, and Nina would've died.


	3. A Knight to Remember

Author Note: An update schedule. I am going to try and update the fic at least once a week. Depending on the size of the update it could take longer. Life comes at you fast. CJ I have considered most of the pairings and have a good idea where I'm going but it might change but not likely. Syko-Soldier Yes there will be many badass team ups I'm planning most between Canon Characters and as for Bismark's eye it is just uninjured. Now without further ado onto the chapter.

* * *

"Lelouch would you come here please?" Marianne asked sweetly. Lelouch's heart dropped down to his stomach. He had a feeling his mother had finally decided his punishment. He contemplated just taking off and acting like he never heard her, but discarded the idea. Knowing Marianne she would chase him down herself before making his punishment even worse. No, Lelouch just had to take it like a man.

He walked into the living room to see his mother and sister waiting on the couch. She had changed into her favorite orange dress that highlighted her silky raven hair. After his mother had come home Lelouch was sent to his tutor. It was most likely so that Marianne could come up with a proper punishment for him. Nunally jumped off the couch and ran towards Lelouch.

"You big dummy head. I wanted to see mom come home too," she cried as she pounded on Lelouch's chest. Her hands were too small to do any real damage so he just stood there a moment letting his baby sister get her aggression out. After a moment she grew tired and stopped so Lelouch grasped her hand as he walked towards his mother.

"Yes mother?" Lelouch asked his voice cracking. Marianne just sat there with a Cheshire cat smile pasted on her face.

"Lelouch don't worry you aren't being punished for this morning," she giggled. All of the tension that had been pent up released as he let his shoulders sag. Having his mom mad at him for any period of time was hazardous to his health. "Instead you are coming to the tailor with me." Despite being gone a month his mother knew him too well. It was probably the most fitting punishment she could've devised.

"No please mom, you can't. Last time the measurements took forever and I swear the one with the shiny head tried to kill me with those pants that were all too tight," Lelouch spoke quickly evident fear in his voice.

"Well you might not have had to go if you hadn't ripped your trousers. Now we have to buy you a new outfit for the party tomorrow. Now get your jacket."

"A party too? When was this scheduled? Invitations have to be sent out and stuff. You shouldn't be able to do that for at least a week!" Lelouch groaned. This was just like his mother. She would use one of his own mistakes and craft it into a punishment for him. Lelouch heard the door open behind him and saw Jeremiah swagger in.

"Well my prince we all know how fond you are of parties and didn't want to upset you. I'm sure you understand." Lelouch spared a glance to Nunally who was sticking her tongue out. So that was it. Everyone was out to get him including Jeremiah who was undoubtedly bitter about Lelouch hiding from him. "Also my empress the car is ready for our departure." Gottwald gloated as he talked.

Marianne nodded and took Nunally's hand as they left the room leaving Jeremiah alone with Lelouch.

"If I may be so bold my prince perhaps next time you should-"

"Shut it Margrave, let's go," Lelouch snapped. He didn't need Jeremiah rubbing it in his face. Still Jeremiah didn't continue, he just followed behind Lelouch with a smirk.

The imperial city wasn't far from the Aeries Villa so they arrived after driving only thirty minutes. Then the four of them arrived at their destination Taylor's Tailoring. Lelouch grimaced. Obviously the man was trying to make a play on words but it utterly failed in Lelouch's opinion. Apparently that didn't count for much as Marianne walked in dragging Lelouch by his hand.

"Hello and how may I help- Why if it isn't the empress Marianne herself. It is an honor as always. How can I be of assistance this fine morning," the man said bowing before the empress.

"Taylor there is no need for that," she said and the man rose up. "Today we need a new outfit for Lelouch and a dress for Nunally. They will be attending a celebration for conquering the new area."

"Yes your majesty. Your show of skill and valor in Area 11 was truly a sight to behold," Taylor said as he blushed. "Now if my prince would be so kind as to follow me, we shall start right away. Marianne nodded in thanks before shoving Lelouch forward to go with the him.

Lelouch walked into a room to be greeted by the bald tailor. This was going to be a long day.

It was the day of the party and Lelouch was tired. The trip to the tailor had worn his patience down to nothing. Just like last time the bald man tried squeezing him into outfits that were too tight. As skinny as he knew he was he wondered how they had clothes that small. Then finally when Lelouch was finished Nunally had kept picking out dresses to try on. They had spent around five hours shopping for clothes. A ten year old boy's worst nightmare. Nevertheless Lelouch was royalty and had to be dignified at all times.

Lelouch had changed into proper attire by four even though the party was not scheduled to begin until six. He had been fiddling with his tie for about ten minutes. You'd think that a ten year old boy would at least not be question for wearing a clip-on, but alas the life of royalty. Lelouch heard a chuckle from behind him and turned to see Jeremiah at the door. He was already dressed in his black formal attire with his black and white suit accenting his tan face. He had even gotten his turquoise hair cut into an almost military length.

"Would you like some help with that your highness?"

Lelouch gave a quick nod embarrassed. Normally his mother would help him with the tie but she was busy with Nunnally. Jeremiah stepped over to him before kneeling down face to face with Lelouch. Jeremiah fixed his eyes on the tie and with a few short folds had it snug around Lelouch's neck.

"There is no need to be embarrassed about this your highness. If it makes you feel better I was seventeen before I finally learned how to tie my own tie. Up until then my dad had to do it for me," Jeremiah smiled lightly as he put his hand on Lelouch's shoulder.

Jeremiah had his father put on his tie for him. That was a stark contrast to Lelouch's father. The emperor was a rather absentee parent. He supposed it came with the job but that didn't mean he didn't resent it. Compiling onto that the emperor had no small number of children. If he had decided to neglect the empire until he had spent a day with each of his children he would've been preoccupied for a month. In reality Lelouch was lucky if he saw the man once a month. Whenever his parents saw each other it was always Marianne that went to the royal palace. That was fine with him though. He never really thought of the emperor as a father figure. He wanted to say that Jeremiah was like a father to him but he saw him more like an older brother, comparable to Schneizel his favorite brother. If he truly had to label a person as a father figure it would probably be Bismark.

Bismark was always at the Aeries Villa either sparring with Marianne using swords or more likely knightmares or teaching Lelouch tactics. Bismark had been the one that had given Lelouch his first chess set and started teaching him the game. It was a debt that he could never repay.

* * *

Bismark had just arrived at the Aries Villa. The home was magnificent, but then so were all of the Emperors wives' homes. The one that truly set this one apart however was the garden. It was renowned across Brittania to the point that painters would make a pilgrimage for the chance to paint it. However captivating it was it was not the reason he was here.

He was here for his weekly duel against Marianne the Flash. It had originally been a promotion for the knightmares to have the Ganymede test pilot battle the Glasgow test pilot. The first fight however had been a draw with both machines running out of power before dealing an incapacitating blow. Marianne had demanded a rematch which Bismark eager for another round accepted.

Once you reached a certain skill level only worthy opponents could satisfy in battle. For Marianne and Bismark that's exactly what they became, worthy opponents and friendly rivals. They had begun battles with knightmares but Bismark soon discovered that Marianne was deadly with a blade as well. Anxious to test her mettle they began having sword duels as well. Although Bismark was overpowering The Flash lived up to her name by being quicker. The total tally of the duels were 73-68-67 in Bismark's slight favor.

He waited downstairs for Marianne to show. She would always make him wait at least ten minutes before coming down. For an opponent like Marianne Bismark would've waited a lifetime. This time however something was off. Her five year old son Lelouch was coming down the stairs instead.

It felt awkward for him. It wasn't that Bismark hated kids but he just didn't know how to handle them. Normally they would just whine or cry and he would pass them off to their parents but Marianne wasn't here.

"I'm sorry to inform you Lord Waldstein but my mother won't be coming down for quite some time. My little sister is feeling ill and mother is rocking her to sleep. If you would like to wait in the tea room I can have a servant bring you some tea or coffee to drink." Lelouch was quiet as he spoke probably felt shy around unfamiliar people. He definitely knew that feeling.

"Yes that would be much obliged," as he followed Lelouch into the tea room. The tea was brought to them with haste as he and Lelouch drank in silence. He could practically sense how uncomfortable it was.

"Lelouch do you like games?" Bismark said trying to sound cheerful. The boy nodded weakly, barely lifting his head up from the cup. "Well then you might like this one. It just so happens that I had to visit your brother Schneizel earlier today and this is his favorite. It's called chess."

The knight reached for his bag before pulling out a portable chess set. It was smaller than most but perfect for a child Lelouch's age. Bismark explained to Lelouch what each piece was and how it moved, along with the beginning positions of the game. Lelouch nodded absorbing the information like a sponge.

The first game they played Bismark had taken it easy on Lelouch so as not to crush his spirit so early after learning the game. However by the third game Lelouch had made drastic improvements in his strategy. Granted the knight might have been a little rusty in his game but for the five year old to give him this much trouble astounded him. It seemed chess skills ran in the emperor's blood considering Bismark still hadn't managed to defeat Schneizel.

They were on their tenth game when Marianne finally came down and greeted them. Lelouch put on a sad smile but Bismark knew what the kid wanted.

"We can finish this game first," Bismark said causing Lelouch to smile from ear to ear.

* * *

The guests had started to arrive around five thirty. They were lucky the party was at the Aeries Villa or Marianne would've probably been late to her own celebration party. It didn't surprise Lelouch that the li Britannia sisters were the first to arrive. Cornelia and Euphemia were always over anyways. Cornelia because she idolized Marianne and was constantly talking strategies and knightmares with her while Euphemia played with Lelouch. Lelouch couldn't blame them however. Empress li Britannia's passing away three years ago had shook the sisters to their core. While the emperor hadn't spent a spare moment for the sisters after the funeral it was Marianne who took them in. For about six months they stayed at the Aeries Villa with them. It had been a little rough transition (mostly fighting over cake and who would get the last slice) but Marianne smoothed it over. When they eventually left, due to Marianne inspiring Cornelia to start a military career, it had left a little hole in his life. Euphemia had quickly filled it though by continuing to come over every other day or so.

"Empress Marianne it's a pleasure to see you again. Congratulations are in order for your victories in Area 11," Cornelia said going into a bow. Even to a formal party Cornelia wore military attire. She was taking her chosen career very seriously. Then again Cornelia was never a picture of femininity.

"Cornelia it has been too long and please drop the formality. For you I will always be just Marianne." Cornelia smiled as Marianne brought her into a hug. They then began talking about knightmares and tactics when Lelouch was tackled.

"Lelouch!" Euphie cried as she barreled into him. He knew it had been a few days since they'd seen each other but this seemed a little much.

"It's nice to see you too Euphie. Now if you could please get off of me, you're crushing my lungs," Lelouch managed to wheeze out. The discomfort was plain on his face but Euphy ignored it.

"No." She said as she hugged Lelouch tighter.

"Hey don't forget about me. I wanna have fun too," Nunnally whined as she joined into the pile. It took a promise of a bed time story for Nunnally and a dance later on for Euphemia to bribe his way out. Rotten sisters extorting promises from him. Marianne and Cornelia just smiled at the children as they continued conversing.

"Remember your promise Lelouch. Hey Nunnally let's go eat all the snacks," Euphemia giggled before grabbing Nunnally's hand and running towards the desserts. Lelouch was happy to see them go before noticing the next guests arriving. It was the Ashfords. Not wanting to interrupt his mother's conversation Lelouch sauntered over to greet the Ashfords.

"Hello Lord Ashford. It's a pleasure to welcome you to the Aeries Villa," Lelouch greeted.

"Nonsense my boy, It's my pleasure to welcome your mother home. Especially after her piloting display in Area 11 the Ganymede is becoming more popular than ever," the old man replied laughing heartily. Lelouch had always liked Rueben Ashford. He was one of the few people that treated Lelouch like a kid rather than a royal prince. Plus as far as he could tell Ashford was always jolly, it was almost like he pictured Santa.

"Lelouch it's been so long," Milly shrieked as she threw her arms around him. Yet another crazy girl to Lelouch but at least this one hadn't tackled him. Milly was Rueben's granddaughter and only grandchild. Her parents seemed to always be away on some sort of business so Milly was always with her grandfather, which was unfortunate because he couldn't stop spoiling her. Milly's eleventh birthday was a perfect example. She had practically had a circus come to her home. Lelouch had spent a quarter of the day running away from the Blond typhoon before she finally glomped onto him. No matter what she said though Lelouch wouldn't have gone into the lion's cage with her.

"It has only been a few days, ah stop pulling me," Lelouch commanded as the older girl pulled him away, while her Grandfather laughed waving goodbye. Lelouch saw the devious glint in her blue eyes and knew he was in trouble. He tried to break free but to no avail. She just kept running forward while her long hair kept slapping Lelouch in the mouth.

She had forced him to show her all of the Aeries Villa, again. Every time she visited she always had Lelouch give her a tour of the place. The first stop they made was in the kitchen where Milly knicked a few sweets to eat in the garden.

"You know if you're nice to me I might just give you some of these chocolates Lelouch," Milly said pawing at him. Lelouch knew better than to accept anything from Milly, there was always strings attached.

"No thank you, if I want to eat the sweets I'll go get them from a servant or table like normal people."

"Where's the fun in that? You can be a boring old prince sometimes," Milly sighed. It didn't matter to him though. Lelouch definitely didn't want to be there when Milly found something exciting.

"Let's go to your room,"

"No," Lelouch answered. If he let the blond hurricane in his room just might not survive.

"Why not? Is it messy? Do you have something in there that you want no one to know about? Or is it just that you've never had a girl in your bedroom before. Hahaha your face is turning red."

"Fine we'll go to my room," Lelouch huffed anger clearly saturating his cheeks. He hated when Milly went into interrogation mode. It meant that she wouldn't drop something until she was satisfied. He grabbed Milly's hand and led her to his room. "And I have had Euphemia and Nunnally in my room before!"

"They don't count because they're your sisters." Milly was provoking him and he knew it. Unlike most times though he couldn't control his temper. Still he thought they should count. They had all even slept in the same bed before.

Lelouch swung the door open revealing his room. It was all meticulously clean and organized just like Lelouch. The bed was made and the only thing on his desk was a computer and chess set. Milly deflated visibly and Lelouch smirked at the loss of expectations. He half-heartedly wondered what she expected to find in there. Knowing Milly probably blackmail material. Lelouch couldn't help but feel a tiny bit bad however.

"Milly I really should be getting back. Shall I escort you back to the party. Milly perked up as she took his extended arm interlocking hers in with his. When Lelouch had come back he was taken aback by how many more people had come during his absence. The room was practically filled. He searched for his sisters and found them marching towards them looking a little mad.

"Hi brother, we're going to need to borrow miss Ashford for a moment," Euphemia said with a strain on her voice. Before Lelouch could even respond they pulled Milly away. He wondered what he could've done to anger them but dismissed the idea. If he had thought about all the ways he could of offended girls he would be standing there all night. He scanned the room before landing on his target. He strolled over to join his brother.

"Hello little brother. Why don't you join us? Duke Calares was just regaling us with his story of becoming sub-viceroy of Area 7," he spoke with a smile. Schneizel was surrounded by a group of nobles who were undoubtedly wrapped around his little finger. To all others Schneizel would seem genuine but Lelouch knew better. Underneath the fancy white outfit and calculating blue eyes was just another mask. It was a skill that impressed Lelouch, but always left him a little disgusted with the lack on sincerity, not that anybody would notice.

Lelouch shook hands with his brother and the surrounding nobles saying all the pleasantries. One of the nobles had a dismayed look on his face.

"Schneizel I'm sure that a young boy doesn't wants to hear about the boring workings of politics," the noble guffawed. The man's intention was clear. I want this brat gone. He probably held a prejudice against Lelouch for not being a pure noble. Not that anyone would say that out loud. It was no secret that Marianne was the emperor's favorite wife despite her lack of noble blood. Before Lelouch could retaliate Schneizel spoke up.

"Now I'm sure you are not suggesting that a Brittanian prince would not understand the political game," Schneizel said leering at the noble. His blue eyes pierced into the very depths of the man's soul as an expression of raw fear entered his face. It was an instantaneous transition from smooth prince to dangerous enemy. It was for this ability that Schneizel was not only considered a brilliant politician but was also the favorite to become prime minister when the former retired.

This was the reason that Schneizel was his favorite brother. Out of all of their siblings he favored Lelouch the most. It might have been because out of all there sibling Lelouch was the only one to give him trouble during chess. He saw Lelouch as a promising piece if developed correctly, or perhaps even a partner.

Lelouch continued following the conversation as Schneizel continued impressing the nobles. The nobles eventually left leaving Lelouch and Schneizel.

"So big brother when are you going to give me a rematch?" This is how it always went. Lelouch would challenge Schneizel, lose, and then ask for a rematch within a week. Despite his brother's flawless record he had never denied a challenge.

"Are you really so eager to get a chess lesson again?" Lelouch frowned at that. "Fine but not tonight, in fact you might have to dance with some pretty ladies behind you right now," Schneizel chuckled as Lelouch turned around to be startled by Euphy in his face.

"Time to pay up Lelouch," she said grabbing his hand and leading him to the dance floor. Euphy had always been a bubbly princess but now she seemed downright ecstatic. Lelouch resigned himself to his fate. He didn't much care for dancing but a promise was a promise and to one of his favorite sisters he'd be damned if he would break his word.

"You do remember how to dance right Lelouch?" Euphie teased. He made a brief nod remembering that she had been the first girl he had danced with. It went horribly on both ends as their bruised feet would tell. After that Lelouch had made sure he knew how to waltz efficiently. It seemed as if he could never get through one party without dancing with some noble's daughter and he would not be made a fool of by something as embarrassing as tripping over his own feet.

He took Euphemia's right hand and laid his left hand by her waist. She reciprocated by laying her free hand on his shoulder. After the first few steps of nothing going wrong Lelouch could feel Euphy loosen up. He gave her a grin which she returned.

"You're a lot better than I remember," she complimented him. It was true it wouldn't have been hard to improve on that fiasco.

"Well I have had a lot of practice since our first dance those years ago," Lelouch replied. For a split second he thought he saw a twitch on Euphie's mouth but dismissed it.

"Do you like my dress?" she asked looking away. Lelouch was tempted to tease her but it just wasn't fair with her looking so shy. He examined her dress for a moment. She was wearing a frilly pink dress that made her look like a princess. She always wore pink though it went with her hair and eyes almost too well. In a few years she would probably be stunning but Lelouch had to stop himself from thinking down those lines.

"Of course Euphy, but I've yet to see a dress you don't look good in," Lelouch complimented. The smooth answer caused her to blush fire red and take note of the floor. Before Lelouch could say anything however the song had ended.

"Alright thanks for the dance Lelouch. I've got to go," Euphy said before Lelouch could even respond she ran off. He was about to go see if something was wrong when Milly cut in front of him.

"Now Lelouch you weren't thinking about leaving before dancing with me right," said Milly flashing a devilish look on her face. It might have been a little too optimistic of him to think he could get away with just one dance. Lelouch reluctantly got into position to which Milly let out a tiny squeal of joy as she raised her hand to his shoulder. It was a little awkward for Lelouch leading Milly, with her being taller than him, but he handled it fine. As the song ended he thanked her for the dance just before another boy cut in and Lelouch found himself with a new dance partner. This happened three times in a row as Lelouch cursed his luck. Apparently all of the girls wanted a dance with the hero empress's son. He had spent half an hour dancing before Bismark had come to his rescue.

"I'm afraid I will have to borrow the young prince for a moment miss darlton," He apologized. Lelouch sent him a relieved look as he bade the young girl goodbye. Bismark waved his hand to follow and Lelouch did so gladly.

"It's about time you showed up my legs were beginning to get tired," Lelouch jested.

"Oh is that so, perhaps we need to do more physical exercises then." Bismark joked causing the prince to sweat a bit.

"That won't be necessary." The last thing Lelouch wanted was extra physical training. It had taken him months to not pass out half way through the exercises. If he started two a days there was a strong possibility he wouldn't survive. "So Bismark, not to be ungrateful for your assistance but is there a specific reason we are walking so far from the house?'

They had been walking for only a moment but Bismark was covering a lot of distance while Lelouch struggled to keep up. They had already passed the security checkpoint where his guards hadn't even question where Bismark was taking Lelouch. If Jeremiah ever found out about their negligence he would have their heads on a platter.

"Well your highness besides the fact that I'm saving you from your persistent admirers, I also believe it would cause quite a bit of commotion if any of the other guest saw my surprise for you." Bismark stopped on a hill as Lelouch caught up. As he looked down he couldn't believe his eyes. Right before him was the new model of knightmare the RPI-13 model Sutherland. For Bismark to show him the test model was almost unbelievable.

"Well I didn't bring you here to stare at it. Let's get in." Bismark was actually going to let him ride in it with him. This might have been the best day of his life. His mother would probably flip if she heard him say that about piloting a non-Ashford knightmare. The knightmare was in a prone position so climbing up to the cockpit wasn't difficult. Bismark manned the controls as Lelouch watched. With a few flicks of a switch the metal knight powered on and stood up. It might have been the first time Lelouch fell in love. The feel of power and freedom the knightmare exuded was intoxicating. He felt that with a knightmare nothing was out of reach, everything in the realm of possibility. Becoming an ace his true dream.

"This is amazing thank you Bismark," Lelouch said dropping his mask. Bismark watched his genuine show of awe happy he could bring that feeling to the boy. Unfortunately there had been a reason why he had brought Lelouch here.

"Lelouch I'm sorry to have to say this but it seems like this will be the last time we see each other for awhile." Lelouch stared at him puzzled as Bismark continued. "I have been ordered by the emperor to become a temporary Viceroy for Area 11. He wants me to straighten it out for Clovis."

Lelouch absorbed the information in silence. It didn't seem fair, as soon as his mother had approved of his knightmare training the one he wanted to learn from most was leaving. He wanted to ask Bismark to stay but if the emperor had ordered it there loophole or bypass he could use. No, Bismark was stuck having to go to Area 11. Lelouch wanted to say something, anything, but he just couldn't find the words.

The rest of the ride was silent until they finally dismounted the knightmare and went back to the house. The party was already winding down as Lelouch checked his watch. It read a quarter past midnight, far past his bed time.

"Goodnight Lelouch."

"Goodbye Bismark," Lelouch mumbled as he walked towards his room. The long day combined with the bad news made his bed the most attractive place in the world. He hadn't even laid in it for a minute before he drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Author Note: Alright just doubled my word count with this update. Finally got Euphy in too, although I'm going to need more Cornelia in the future. First change, Cornelia was never head of security for Marianne. Second thing I'm changing is Bismark's age. In canon he would be around 23 at the time of Japan being conquered. Instead I'm changing him to 28, an age more appropriate to the knight of one and a bit closer to Marianne. Also I did the math and am I the only one a little disgusted that the emperor in his 40s would marry an 18-19 year old girl FOR A FIFTH WIFE.

If you like the story let me know, if you don't like the story tell me why. Thanks and I hoped you enjoyed reading.

Disclaimer: I do not own Code Geass. If I did I would've given Shirley better aim at the end of episode 13.


	4. A Change of Scenery

Chapter 4

Author Note: I seriously have no idea how I'm writing this fast. Maybe it's because I'm neglecting my school work. When I was writing original fiction it would take me at least a month to crank out a chapter but writing this I'm like "Oh this scene will go this way, and it will lead into this scene, which sets up for this scene!" Seriously though I feel like I have the best sort of ADD. Syko There is nothing on kamine island anymore and I found Bismark's age on wiki. I personally always believed him to be closer to Marianne so I just reflected that in my story as well. Saladrick I know that she was closing her eyes but in my geass the bullet would've hit the vitals. Villeta put Lelouch through so much crap I can't understand why he didn't kill her when he would geass random racists just because he was in a bad mood.

* * *

It was seven a.m when Lelouch heard the door to his room creep open. He knew it was Nunnally but the question was what did she want.

"Wake up Lelouch! I've got something important to tell you," she shouted while jumping on his bed. Well there was one mystery solved. He opened his eyes shooting her a dirty look. He had been having a good dream which she had just effectively ruined.

"Nunnally, you shouldn't wake up monsters. They might just chase you!" Lelouch growled as he jumped from his bed. Nunnally made a cute scream before sprinting away leaving Lelouch to chase her. They had run around for about five minutes, darting between servants and furniture, before Lelouch caught her.

"Little girls that get caught by monsters are eaten," he joked.

"Nope that's not fair. You're too fast."

"You had a head start! Ok, so what did you want to tell me?"

"I can't tell you now, we have to wait for mom."

"Fine. I'm going back to sleep then," Lelouch called as he marched towards his room. He was just kidding, once he was awake he had a hard time getting back to sleep. He was really just going to get dressed.

"No you have to play with me some more. Lelouch! Come back!" she yelled chasing after him.

Marianne had returned home within the hour. She typically did early morning training from six to eight every day. The Flash made sure she was never rusty. Nunnally was buzzing around her from the moment she opened the door.

"Mom I've got to tell you something. But I need Lelouch there too. Can we talk on the patio? It's such a nice day out," Nunally spit out words rapidly. Marianne just nodded to the little girl as she ran outside. After changing she found both of her children waiting outside. Nunnally was drinking milk with a sour look on her face while Lelouch looked composed while sipping on tea.

"God mom that took forever. You really need to change quicker," the young girl complained. Marianne wasn't in the mood for an argument so just went along with it.

"I'm sorry honey. So what was it you wanted to tell me?"

The little girl went from bouncing off the walls to stoic in a second flat. Marianne adopted a worried look onto her face. Almost nothing could make Nunnally idle. Nunnally breathed deeply before speaking.

"Mom I want to attend Ashford academy in Area 11."

Her request didn't surprise Marianne. She thought this might happen if Milly was around. Lelouch however wasn't prepared as he spewed his tea all over the table. He looked at his mother trying to read her body language to see if she approved but learned nothing. Marianne was a stone wall.

"Nunnally is there a reason you want to attend the academy? You do know you will have to leave home if you go," Marianne said. She was curious as to how Milly had convinced her. Nunnally pouted whenever Lelouch or Euphy weren't playing with her. For her to go to Ashford and leave them both behind simply went past her logic. Unless…

"I want to make new friends. While I love big brother with all my heart I want to be able to be with kids my own age. As a princess of the empire I need to learn how to help the people the best. There would be no better way to do that then to go to school with them. Milly even offered to hide my true identity if I choose so people won't treat me different than everyone else. Euphy also wants to go so I wouldn't be there alone, plus Milly is attending," Nunnally explained. Marianne was confident that she could hear Milly's word's in Nunnally's speech. The girl was definitely persuasive. Marianne chuckled as she caught sight of Lelouch. Even if he was mastering the art of the mask there were some things he just couldn't hide. His disbelief and condemnation of Nunnally asking to leave was on that list. She could tell that he wanted her to say no more than anything else in the world. To lose the little sister that he loved to dote on and his sister that was his favorite playmate would be a tough blow for him.

"Well I might have to ask your father but you have my permission." Marianne smiled trying to keep it genuine. It hurt to think about sending her daughter away for school but everything Nunnally said had been on point. It would've been selfish for Marianne to hold her back just because she wanted her to stay. If she did that the roles of parent and child might be reversed. It was only fair, as only a week ago she had said goodbye to her children to go to Japan herself.

Lelouch looked like he had just been betrayed. It had to be done though. What was best for Nunnally might not necessarily be best for Lelouch but she couldn't hold her daughter back for Lelouch's sake either.

Lelouch didn't say a word as he stomped off obviously angry over Marianne's approval. The boy was still self-centered not to think about how that reaction would affect Nunnally and even herself, albeit only little.

"It's alright Nunnally. He'll come around eventually. Who knows he might just ask to go to school with you," she said trying to comfort her daughter. Nunnally flashed a weak smile before leaving. Something didn't sit right though. However well Nunnally hid it, Marianne could tell there was another reason for her choosing to go. Her motherly instinct wanted to press on but she knew if Nunnally wanted to talk about it she would.

She had decided to talk with the emperor tonight about it as she was scheduled to see him. She went into her room to pack her things when she saw Lelouch sitting on her bed.

"Mom you can't let her go to Area 11 on her own. She's not even seven years old yet and don't say she has Euphy because Euphy is younger than I am," Lelouch stated.

"Well then Lelouch what would you have me do?" she questioned interested in his answer.

"Either you make her stay or we all move to Area 11," he responded. This had shocked her. He would go so far as to give up his comfortable life in Pendragon to follow his sisters. Marianne had to test her son's resolve on this choice.

"You do know that means you won't be able to play chess with Schneizel every week anymore. You might even have to put your piloting lessons on hold indefinitely if you move out of Pendragon."

"I know and accept those terms. As for piloting I would only have to put it off until I turn eighteen and join the military." Marianne couldn't help but smirk at his answer. It was proof that she was raising her son right.

"Fine, I'll speak with your father about it," she said. Lelouch was always the type to want more like a promise but this was as much as she would give him. Even if she did know Charles zi Brittania the best, there was a limit to what she could do. Seeing her firm stance Lelouch decided not to press his luck. He thanked his mother and left the room.

* * *

It had been awhile since Marianne had been summoned to the imperial palace. She had forgotten the breath-taking architecture that put the ruins in Rome to shame. Now was not the time to admire buildings, no today she was on a mission for her children. Anybody who truly knew Marianne knew she was a mother, then knight, then empress. It didn't matter if she had to go to the emperor himself, for her children she would go to any length.

She walked with her head held high as the guards opened the door to the throne room. The emperor sat upon his throne in the room completely devoid of any company. She knelt before him like any knight would.

"My emperor I have a request to make of you," she said. The man nodded which she took as continue. "Our daughter Nunnally and your daughter Euphemia have asked to attend Ashford Academy in the newly formed area. Do you have any preference in the matter?"

"No, let both of them do as they wish. Neither of them can be of any use yet so it doesn't matter," the emperor stated, his voice logical and devoid of warmth. Marianne almost winced at the lack of paternal instincts but she knew better than to call him out on it. What did she expect from a man with multiple wives and enough children to start a professional sports team, compassion?

"My lord I don't know if I feel comfortable letting my child stay in a foreign country by herself." The emperor raised an eyebrow, possibly repulsed by the idea of actually taking care of a child, but Marianne continued. "I would request that I be given leave to take our son as well."

"You would take Lelouch as well?" The emperor said his face impassive but something wasn't right. Why would the emperor care about Lelouch before he could be of use.

"I'm sorry, I wasn't aware that you would mind," her answer was sharp but direct.

"I am the boy's father aren't I? Is it unusual for a father to show interest in his son?"

"No, but with you there is always a reason," Marianne's words were blunt. She could see the emperor's face harden with the challenge before cracking into a smirk. Most people who challenged the emperor would end up dead but Marianne wasn't most people. Being the favorite wife afforded her somewhat more protection in her tone and diction than others.

"You know me well Marianne." He paused as if choosing his words but the emperor never did. He always just spoke whatever popped into his mind. "I have been told that our son has recently won a chess tournament of note. I found myself wondering about his potential and usefulness. If properly developed he may yet be a great asset like his brother Schneizel." It never ceased to amaze Marianne how calculating the man could be with his own children. She felt a little bad for crown prince Odysseus knowing that if Charles had found him a use by now he never would. Although it might have been his good fortune that he was so dull, it might have prevented his assassination if he had posed a true threat to those with the ambition to become emperor. Marianne wore a stalwart look. She was not about to sacrifice Lelouch's freedom of choice just to satisfy the emperor. The emperor noticed the threatening look on the empress's face before amending his speech.

"But perhaps I spoke too soon. He should develop a little more before putting him to use. Very well Lelouch may also go to Area 11 if he so chooses. You may visit them one weekend a month." Marianne knew he wouldn't let her truly leave Pendragon, at least not until he was bored with her. This was a victory for her though. She had successfully gotten her children out of the political web where the spiders lurked waiting for the moment to assassinate someone. "Now it is time to retire for the evening."

* * *

Lelouch had been waiting in the foyer for his mother to return. She had been summoned by the emperor the previous night and had probably gotten her answer for their chance to move. After waiting for an hour his mother walked in. She noticed Lelouch sitting right away and made her way towards him.

"Lelouch we need to talk. I spoke with your father last night and he is perfectly fine with Nunnally going to Area 11. Also if you truly desire to go with Nunnally I won't stop you."

"What about you?"

"I'm afraid your father wants me to stay in Pendragon. I will be visiting Nunnally about once a month." This wasn't a big surprise to him. He had already predicted that the emperor would let himself and Nunnally go. As children they weren't valuable pieces yet. It was just the way his father worked. Could he do it though? Could he leave his mother?

The little kid inside him screamed no. He would have a tantrum if he had to leave his mother but Lelouch had learned to silence that voice long ago. If he left there would definitely be someone watching out for Nunnally and Euphemia. He didn't want to have to entrust them with someone else. Conversely he would be leaving his mother, to somewhere she couldn't follow. She would be losing both her children and not be there for them growing up. He also wouldn't get to spend more time with her, bonding over their knightmare training. It had been the initial reason why he wanted to learn to pilot a knightmare.

"Who would go with Nunnally if I don't?"

"I would be sending Jeremiah to watch out for her. He is the most loyal vassal and the only one I would trust with Nunnally."

"What would you like me to do?" Lelouch couldn't help but blurt out. If Lelouch and Nunnally were gone she would probably go back into active service. Did she want that? Marianne was incredibly accomplished for one so young, only thirty years old. He knew she wouldn't think about herself when answering. She would give the mom answer.

"I want you to do whatever you want Lelouch." There it was the mom answer. Lelouch had to think about this. It was his strong suit to plan his moves out. It took him a little while but he thought he knew the best solution to his dilemma. He didn't want to leave his mother or Nunnally.

"Mom would it be alright if I spent half the year in Area 11 and the other half with you?" His voice broke on the last words. He just couldn't bear the thought of leaving behind either of them. His mother yanked him into a tight hug.

"Of course you can sweety," she whispered a tear rolling down her cheek that she wouldn't let Lelouch see. He had weighed his options carefully. He knew that Marianne missed being on the battlefield and yet didn't want to miss her children grow up. With this arrangement she would get to go on active service for six months, return to Lelouch for three, before Nunnally would join them for the final three of summer vacation. Lelouch reciprocated the hug, feeling loved by his mother.

* * *

Today was the day they children were flying off to Japan. Euphie and Nunnally had taken weeks to pack everything while Lelouch had been packed in one night. When Lelouch had told the two girls that he would be spending a semester a year at Ashford the girls went insane. They bounced around Lelouch saying how fun it was going to be to all go to school together. They had even decided to go undercover as children of nobility so that they would be treated more like regular students.

Now was the hard part though. With school beginning on Monday the children couldn't delay any longer. They had to say goodbye. Marianne and Cornelia were the ones that were supposed to be sending them off but to everyone's astonishment Schneizel had made an appearance too. Lelouch had said his goodbyes to his mother before he left the house. He knew he couldn't do it in public, at least without crying like he did at home.

His goodbye with Cornelia was awkward. They both didn't want to display emotion in public as they melted into an embrace. As soon as he finished Euphy had pounced into her arms, weeping openly telling her sister to remain safe, now that Cornelia was going back to battle to try and create Area 12.

Schneizel looked expectant to Lelouch as he made his way over to him. He had always been fond of Schneizel but he hadn't expected a personal farewell from him.

"Older brother, you do me a kindness today," Lelouch smiled.

"You didn't expect me to let a close brother of mine leave the country without seeing him off. I'm afraid this will put an end to our weekly chess matches. I do hope you can find some suitable competition in the area, for I fear I am doomed to mediocre opponents with your departure," Schneizel laughed with Lelouch.

"If there proves to be an opponent in the area equivalent to your talents, I'll fly him over myself so you can face him." The brothers had always shared camaraderie over chess. After all they were both strategists although Lelouch was also determined into trying to make himself into a powerful piece.

Schneizel held out his hand and Lelouch shook it. He had a firm grip but Lelouch noticed a white card that Schneizel slipped into his hand during the shake.

"If you need anything this is my private number. It goes directly to my personal line. I've heard rumors about pockets of resistance in Area 11 and if you feel unsafe I can arrange transport for you within the hour. Stay safe little brother."

Lelouch thanked Schneizel for the card as he took his leave. He slipped the card into his pocket as he boarded the airplane waving goodbye to his mother and Cornelia. Jeremiah stood at the doorway to the plane.

"Are you ready to leave my prince?" He toned. His mother had arranged for Jeremiah to be the guardian while they were there. Jeremiah had taken the job readily willing to display his loyalty to the children.

"Yes Jeremiah. Thank you for watching us," Lelouch answered. He walked over to his seat by one of the windows. His sisters were already on the plane waving happily at the women they were leaving behind. Lelouch didn't want to look back but couldn't help himself. As he glanced out the window his eyes showed him one thing he almost didn't believe. For the first time in his life he saw his mom cry.

* * *

Author Note: Finally finished the first arc and the base of the story. Yes Marianne isn't crazy anymore. I figured that the geass was the culprit behind her insanity so without it she is just a loving mother and extraordinary pilot. There was another hidden cost though and that was her bond with Charles. Without Geass their relationship became more one-sided with the emperor wanting Marianne. Plus Euphy goes to Ashford. I just couldn't justify leaving Euphy by herself with Cornelia joining the military.

Also I am putting a poll up on my profile. This will probably affect amount of screen time characters receive and possibly pairings. I really want to see your responses and it would make me happier than a monkey at a fertilizer factory.

Please review and let me know how I'm doing. Good or bad, I value any input. Thanks and I hope you enjoyed reading this update.

Disclaimer: I do not own Code Geass. If I did Schneizel would be named something else, anything else. His name makes him sound like a German food product.


	5. Ashford Academy: A day in the Life

Author Note: TIME SKIP. I finally have laid a base from where I can begin the story. I can now begin the story, hopefully with some scenes close to the anime. The skip will go up to six years as Lelouch is now sixteen and in high school. Also I have changed the name of the fic. It just seems so much more fitting now.

The school had been welcoming to the three royals, not that they knew they were entertaining royalty. It had been six years since they first came but Lelouch could remember it like it was yesterday.

The first day they had been separated by class, something that Nunnally hadn't taken into account as she started complaining. Euphie, Milly, Nunnally, and Lelouch were all shoved into four different grades.

Although Lelouch had been quite and had intended to stay apart of the background it seemed this school wouldn't allow it courtesy of Milly. She had arranged for him to join the student council for his club since it was required that all student must join one. It was presumptuous but when he learned Nunnally and Euphemia were to be their grades representatives he went along with it.

In his own class he became fast friends with a blue haired boy named Rivalz. He had a crush on Milly and was hoping Lelouch would introduce them. It was refreshing to be around a boy that wasn't insistent on getting in his good graces. Even when he found out Lelouch was a member of nobility he still treated him the same. Eventually Rivalz joined the student council to try and become closer with Milly although she repeatedly rejected him. The last two members of the council were Nina and Shirley. Both of them hadn't talked much and it seemed like Shirley had disliked him for awhile, before warming up to him, now they were on friendly terms.

As he got older the student council had become a sort of haven for him. Despite not being a prince he was still being chased around by girls. It seemed that the only normal ones were in the council with him. He couldn't even ask most girls for the time without them giggling or blushing. He just imagined how bad it would be if they found out he was actually son of the emperor instead of some duke.

His talent with the ladies had not come without a price. Most of the guys on campus disliked him. It was only through many successfully led festivals, that had won over their respect.

It was time for him to go for his meeting with Rivalz at 1:30 so he could ditch Gym, his final class of the day. Despite his protestations that he had enough workouts with Bismark and Jeremiah while he was in Area 11, Rueben still insisted that he have gym to keep the charade up. He figured that if he had to play a character the charade could allow him to ditch gym as well.

It was unfortunate that the gym teacher had taken a special interest in Lelouch. The man had tried to get Lelouch to attend the class countless times, probably because Ashford didn't even look at the complaints he submitted. The teacher didn't even seem to care that he was supposed to be the son of a duke. That afforded him a certain amount of respect in Lelouch's book, albeit not enough to make him attend the class and become tired before his training sessions. Lelouch had been walking towards the school's front exit when his teacher spotted him.

"And just where do you think you're going Lamperouge? You're not getting outta gym this time," the man sneered. Lelouch just smirked knowing how this would play out. Right as he opened his mouth he took off running down the hallway. Pulling out his phone he sent a quick text to Rivalz telling his to follow escape plan four. He didn't look back but there wasn't a shred of doubt that the teacher was chasing him. He was hauling his butt past all of his classmates

"Hey Vice Prez where you going?" one of the girls asked.

"Ditching Gym. If you could distract the teacher for a second I would owe you one," he shot a seductive smile at them. Without another word the girls bogged down the gym instructor. There were advantages to being popular. He jumped out the back entrance window rolling onto the grass. It was a move he learned from Jeremiah when he had to escape from a knightmare that couldn't eject. He hopped into the sidecar of Rivalz bike as he drove off. He could hear the teacher curse as they left school grounds.

"Narrow escape buddy. Your book is by your feet. So do you want to know where were headed?" Rivalz said. Lelouch leaned down to grab a copy of Dante's Inferno. He had begun reading the divine comedy after his last match when he finished Macbeth. He had found tragic heroes to be entertaining, if a little extreme.

"Were headed over to Duke Chambers mansion. He heard the rumors of the mysterious L.L. and has decided to test his skill against the mysterious opponent. Am I right?" Lelouch predicted while reading. It was how he had gotten most of his matches. Nobles had always loved the game of chess and usually gambled over it. When he had made his way onto the chess gambling circuit he was thought of as fresh meat. He dispelled that notion over the first few games.

" Right again. He must really want to face the infamous L.L to bet ten thousand pounds. Although I could hardly blame him, at a record of 73 and 0 he isn't going to know what hit him." Lelouch almost question whether Rivalz had meant to say ten thousand but decided against it. To most nobility it was maybe a week's worth of profit. He thought back to Schneizel for a moment wondering if he had found a worthy opponent in his absence. Rivalz was right though and he needed the money. After the last festival he had run down most of his income courtesy of Milly and his sisters. Although they would say it was because all of the dates he goes on. You decide to take one or two girls to a movie and suddenly you were public enemy number one. He could understand Milly considering they were always hot and cold with each other but Euphemia and Nunnally were beyond comprehension. He supposed they just didn't want to share his attention.

When they arrived at the duke's home the guard had escorted them to a comfortable living room of sorts. There was a couch, a tv on the news talking about the grand opening of some new lakeside resort, and on a glass table was a marble chess set. Duke Chambers kept them waiting for a few minutes before greeting his guests. Lelouch snickered to himself about Chambers' typical noble style.

"So you two are the dynamic duo L.L. and R.C. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance," the duke said holding out his hand.

"Likewise Duke Chambers, I am L.L." Lelouch said shaking the man's hand.

"I am ready to begin anytime you are." Chambers gestured towards the table with the chess set on it. "And if you could refresh my memory of the terms.

"Of course your lordship. You shall receive three advantages. You will be given the white pieces for the game, you shall have bishop to knights odds, and you shall have an allotted minute per move while I shall retain fifteen seconds." Those advantages seemed damning. Anybody who knew their chess would always take bishops over knights which Lelouch willingly conceded. Then to give up the early momentum by choosing to play black was close to unthinkable, but the most condemning had to be only fifteen seconds per move. It would allow him only a precursory glance before his move. Still Lelouch had never been defeated yet so perhaps he could pull through.

"Ah yes, I believe the bet was ten thousand pounds with even odds."

"Yes that would be correct."

"Then let's begin the game." The duke said taking a seat in front of the white pieces while Lelouch settled in behind the black. The first five moves of the game were fast but as they went deeper into the game Chambers started to slow down. It wasn't long before Lelouch sprung his strategy. With the sacrifice of one knight and his queen he was able to draw enough defenders off and checkmate the king.

Rivalz gave a sigh of relief at not losing half of their bankroll. The duke stared incredulously at the board for a moment before erupting into a malicious laugh.

"Congratulations boy, it seems the rumors of your prowess are no exaggeration. Here are you winnings," the duke said his voice saturated with spite. Chambers' had thought with all of his advantages it would be a sure win and couldn't help being upset with the defied expectations.

"Thank you Duke Chambers. Now I'm afraid my compatriot and I must be off. It was a pleasure doing business with you." Lelouch exuded confidence and poise as he and Rivalz were shown out. He had just doubled their bankroll with relative easy. As they prepared for the drive home his cell phone rang.

"Lelouch where are you?! You know that we have a new student council member joining us today and you're going to be late," Milly shrieked through the phone. She was so loud that even Rivalz winced. In truth he had forgotten about the induction of the new member, which was uncharacteristic of him. Maybe nerves over the game had gotten the better of him.

"Sorry madam president. Rivalz and I had something important come up. Yes we're on our way. I'll regale you of our exploits later maybe over dinner." Rivalz elbowed him in the ribs. Despite Milly's constant rejections of the boy had still held a torch for Milly. Lelouch was joking though, mostly.

He hung up as Rivalz started his bike.

"Jeez Lelouch you know you don't have to provoke me like that!"

"I don't see what the big deal is? You really need to get over her anyways. A ton of girls would jump at the chance to go on a double date with you and me," Lelouch tried to say without sounding conceded. It was true though, despite the fact that he was a hot commodity, Lelouch rarely went on dates. Apparently that had, against his own beliefs, increased his attractiveness. He was like the gentleman mixed with a beast that couldn't be tamed. Yet another reason why he preferred the student council to the illogical population.

Traffic on the way back was cruising swell and with some luck they made it back right before the meeting was supposed to begin.

"Alright! Made it back just in time. Who's the best driver on the campus," Rivalz bragged. Lelouch laughed when he noticed a commotion a block away from campus. Rivalz quickly spoke up.

"Oh no Lelouch. I know that look in your eye. We are not going over there to find out what's going on. We're almost late as is. Nope. Na uh. No chance."

"You're right Rivalz. WE are not going over there. Milly will have a conniption if one of us doesn't go. I'll take that bullet for you," He smiled as he jogged over to the scene.

"Damn it. He always does this," Rivalz grumbled as he walked towards the student council room. He knew Milly was going to have his head on a platter for leaving Lelouch.

When Lelouch got to the scene he saw three Britannians surrounding one Eleven teen on the ground.

"Go on Eleven monkey apologize. Say I'm sorry for stinking up the air around me," one of the men said as he delivered a kick to the teen's ribs. With so many people around, the Eleven couldn't take the chance of fighting back. If he had hit a Brittanian he would go to jail no questions asked while the other three would get a slap on the wrist. It disgusted Lelouch to see the strong pick on the defenseless. It wasn't how he had been taught by his mother. Even defeated enemies deserved a certain amount of respect.

"It's kind of funny how that man would call the Eleven a stinking monkey. It's like the pot calling the kettle black. After all not only do those three look like apes but they can't use words like them too," Lelouch narrated his thoughts aloud. His neighbors that he had been talking to looked uncomfortable as the three turned their attention to him.

"What are you, some kind of Eleven lover?" The man responded. It was obvious that these men were idiots so Lelouch tried to keep the insults on a lower cognition so that they could have a chance of realizing how he was insulting them.

"Not in particular I'm just stating facts. But I couldn't help but notice how bad you smell. I sincerely doubt that it was the Eleven making the smell around you. I can practically see the stink lines coming off you. It must be at least a week since you've showered." It took a little while for the berating words to sink into the men's heads. The one he had been speaking to, realized first as he tried to take a swing at him.

Lelouch had been taught unarmed combat under Bismark. He wasn't anywhere near the fighter most soldiers were but to take out these goons would be child's play. The man had been charging when he threw a right hook first, a typical beginner mistake. Lelouch wanted to end this with as little a scene as possible. He ducked under the sloppy punch stepping up into a quick knee to the man's stomach while walking past him his hand's still in his pockets.

The man crumpled to the ground gasping for breath. His two friends after seeing the blow hadn't wanted any part of Lelouch. He just smiled before addressing the friends.

"You two might want to get him out of here. He won't be in any condition to walk for at least the next ten minutes." He sounded smug but couldn't help it. He loved being able to show off his hard work in real scenarios instead of just training.

The men dragged their friend away and Lelouch knelt down beside the Eleven offering him a hand up. The crowd dispersed as quickly as it formed. The boy took Lelouch's hand before standing.

"My name's Lelouch. Would you mind telling me yours?" Lelouch asked studying the boy. He was definitely an eleven probably about fourteen years old. He had a some bruising on his arms and a black eye but Lelouch couldn't see any blood.

"My name's Ken," the boy all but whispered. Lelouch understood what it must of felt like though. Ken probably needed a little bit of breathing room. He went into a ice cream store nearby to get a small pack of ice for the kid's black eye. When he came out another Eleven was evaluating the extent of Ken's injuries with a Britannian girl behind them. He figured the older one was a servant while the younger was related to the older one in some way. Upon seeing Lelouch the older Eleven marched straight towards him.

The boy was tall for an Eleven and athletically built. He had shaggy brown hair, but the most unusual aspect were his green eyes. Lelouch had never seen an Eleven with green eyes. "Were you the one who did this to Ken?" the boy demanded. There was a look of fierceness about him. The boy was as high strung as he was rude and Lelouch was not about to be interrogated for coming to Ken's defense.

"No I wasn't, but perhaps if you had not let a young kid out of your sight in the middle of the settlement he wouldn't have gotten into this shape," Lelouch phrased as sharply as he could. He could see the words tear at the Eleven. He could feel the raw fury as it burned to the surface. Lelouch wondered if the boy would go as far as to hit him before Ken interrupted.

"No Suzaku, this is the guy who saved me. His name's Lelouch," Ken pleaded. He could see the anger in Suzaku settle down to a manageable level. He handed Ken the ice pack as the Brittanian girl started speaking.

"Suzaku take Ken take the car and drive around the block a few times." Suzaku nodded as he grabbed Ken's hand and walked to a black Mercedes parked out in front of the school. So he was her driver. That must make her a member of the nobility. Now that he thought about it he was sure that Milly had mentioned something about a noble's daughter joining the student council. It seemed that this was her.

He already disliked her a little bit. One because she was nobility. Lelouch and nobility had never really gotten along well with their narrow minded attitudes and pompous view of their own importance. Two was because it seemed that she had little regard for her servants. For her to think it was just alright to leave Eleven servants in one of the densest parts of the Brittanian settlements was beyond him. Did she truly expect no incident to occur? If she didn't then her intelligence was already suspect at best.

"You know it wasn't the brightest idea to leave your servants out in the middle of the settlement. It could've been much worse." Lelouch had decided to call her out on it sooner than later. He had to know if she would be sufferable or if he was going to be spending a lot more time on the gambling scene.

"If we're going down that road it wasn't the brightest idea to go and defend them, and I had ordered them to drive around for an hour until my return," she countered. Lelouch frowned he was already late for the meeting and if he forestalled any longer Milly and Shirley would eat him alive.

"Well as much as I love coming to the defense of people and being criticized for it, I have a meeting to attend at Ashford." He hoped she hadn't gone in yet and he could still show up before the lady at his side did. He could at least dodge that bullet.

"Oh are you talking about the student council meeting? That just ended," she said snidely. It had stopped Lelouch in his tracks as well as erasing all doubt if she was the new council member. Just going in now would mean walking into the firing squad of Milly and Shirley. No doubt Rivalz had already been dealt with, poor boy. Instead he had to stall for more time and hope they would calm down by the time he got there. He turned around back to the newest student council member.

"I didn't catch your name?"

"It's Kallen, Kallen Stadtfeld. You wouldn't happen to be Lelouch Lamperouge?"

"Yes, a pleasure to make your acquaintance," Lelouch said going into an over exaggerated bow. She responded with a meek curtsy. "You wouldn't happen to know if my cohort Rivalz made it in time for the meeting would you?"

"Do you mean the blue haired boy who walked in during the middle? I wouldn't be surprised if they were locking him up right now. They looked pretty pissed when he showed up."

"Well then Mrs. Stadtfeld I was wondering if you would like to take a walk with me? Considering all of the other members have had a chance to speak with you, I would not like to be left out of that group."

"As long as you're just not using me to delay the inevitable, I have no problem going. Just so you know, when you give girls time after they get mad it just allows them to come up with creative ways to torture you." Lelouch winced as she said it.

"Yes I know. I have sisters," he joked earning a snicker from Kallen. Even the company of an uptight noble would be better than facing the wrath of his friends and sisters.

They had been talking for a little while before Kallen took a serious expression. "I have to ask. Why did you miss the student council meeting? Was it because you were late and didn't want to be in trouble?"

"No, I saw Ken being picked on so I went over and helped him. It's as simple as that," he answered with a nonchalant attitude. He could see the confusion on Kallen's face. Of course it hadn't occurred to her to help someone for no benefit he thought to himself.

"But you're a Britannian? Why would you pick a fight with your own people to help an Eleven?" He liked her less and less as she continued speaking. It was legitimate question for most Brittanians but that didn't mean he liked it. He decided to just humor her and answer.

"Well if you want to go into technicalities Elevens are still people in the empire so there should be no problem helping them if they obey," he wondered if he saw a bit of scorn in Kallen's face at his sarcasm and decided to elaborate. Enraging her would probably be just a fun side effect of telling the truth. "That would be the politically correct answer, but I'm sorry to disappoint, it isn't really mine. When I saw those guys picking on that kid it revolted me. They wanted to feel power and play God as it were. It wasn't just a case of the strong picking on the weak. It was a case of the powerful picking on the defenseless. None of those scumbags would've dared to attack him without having the borrowed power of their pathetic little group. I wouldn't just condemn a boy to a beating just because it doesn't affect me. It was within my power to do something so I did. I have no regrets."

After Lelouch finished his speech Kallen looked befuddled. He had waited for a sharp retort or any type of response but none came. She just thanked him for the walk when Suzaku had come to pick her up and drove off. Lelouch didn't know how much his little speech had impressed her. She hadn't liked any true Brittanians due to their arrogant behavior but this boy was different. Maybe she just hadn't met enough Brittanians and more could be like Lelouch. She entertained these thoughts as Suzaku spoke to her.

"Good thinking ordering us to drive around. It gave us an inconspicuous reason to survey the settlement. Colonel Tohdoh will be pleased with the information we've gathered." Yes, that was the true reason why she had gone back to Ashford Academy. As a half Brittanian she and Suzaku would be in the ideal positions to report the landmarks in the settlement. As they could tell from what happened to Kenshiro, it just wasn't safe for Elevens to be in the settlement without a Brittanian. So as long as Kallen attended Ashford, Suzaku could keep surveying the area disguised as her driver.

* * *

Lelouch was hesitant to make an appearance in the student council room. It felt like he was walking to his own execution where the guillotine awaited. He wasn't too far off either. His entrance had been the catalyst to four girls telling him how irresponsible he was. Lelouch half expected to see Rivalz in the stockade but found him sitting in a corner by himself, probably happy that the attention was off him.

"Jeez Lelouch, you need to stop gallivanting around gambling. It makes the student council look bad," Shirley said. She was quick to criticize but always in a self-improvement type of way. It was one of the reasons he appreciated her. She helped keep him humble.

"You need to spend more time at the council, or you could just let me come with you to your games," Nunnally offered.

"No Lelouch, you're not going to get Nunnally involved in your gambling. You shouldn't be doing it in the first place either. Plus with you gone my school work is starting to suffer. I need my favorite tutor back," Euphemia said. Bringing Nunnally to a chess match had been the last thing on his mind. She would probably complain about being bored after the first few moves. He wondered if his baby sister had ADD at times.

"Nice try little sister, but there will be a cold day in hell before I take you to a match. Shirley while I appreciate your concern I have to make money somehow and Rivalz is the one that books the games, I just play them." He knew he had just thrown Rivalz under the bus as Shirley went over to chastise him, but Lelouch just couldn't hand four angry girls at a time. "Euphy feel free to come over to my room anytime and I'll help you with any homework or studying," he said. He had been too busy for his sisters' likes but he hoped they knew he would always make time for them.

"Well now I hope that offer extends to me. After all with you missing student council meetings you're going to have to pay me back somehow. Maybe with a little late night study session," Milly winked. They had played this game before. When Lelouch was younger he would just turn bright red and mash half sentences together. After dealing with Milly for over six years, no amount of flirting was enough to break his focus.

"I'm game if you are Milly," he called her bluff. He knew she wouldn't do it, most of the time. There had been a few late night kisses but nothing had ever turned serious for them. Both of them were teenagers that just wanted to have fun. It didn't help that Marianne and the Ashfords had taken no effort to hide trying to nudge the prospect of a marriage between them. It worked out on paper with the Ashfords getting a tie to the throne while the vi Brittanias became nobility. It was just unfortunate that besides Milly and Lelouch liking each other they were also rebellious and didn't want their futures chosen for them. Lelouch especially couldn't bring himself to get serious with a girl knowing he was joining the military soon, it just seemed too conceited even for him.

Everyone in the room turned various shades of red besides himself and Milly. They just laughed, diffusing the tension in the room. Euphemia pointed at her wrist silently so nobody would notice. Lelouch check the time to see that it was already 3:30. "Crap, Milly were going to have to set up our late night rendezvous later. I have to get to my lesson," Lelouch said. Only the three girls had known about Lelouch's training to protect his anonymity. Not even Lelouch would be able to explain knightmare training to the other students without them finding out his lineage. He ran out of the room throwing a grateful smile back at Euphy.

* * *

Jeremiah was going to kill him. Anytime Lelouch was late there was an extra set of work outs for every minute he was late by. It was already 3:45 when he was supposed to start at 3:30. Jeremiah might make him run around the training grounds on his hands at this point. He missed the days where Jeremiah and Bismark would switch off training him. They both brutalized him with physical combat training but at least Bismark didn't make Lelouch run laps. Lelouch hated running above all else. He had experience three unique styles of fighting and piloting all at ace level, though to be fair Jeremiah still couldn't compare to Marianne and Bismark. Those two were in a league of their own.

Bismark had trained Lelouch for four years before he finally passed the reins of Area 11 to Clovis. It had been a sad day but Bismark had told Lelouch that he had all the pieces necessary for his style he just had to keep training. It motivated him to try and incorporate all three styles into one with a moderate amount of success. He had a feeling that once he mastered the combination, there would be no stopping him.

Lelouch arrived at the training facility at 3:50.

"Your highness you are twenty minutes late." Lelouch could hear the punishment lurking in the fact. He was tasked with an extra mile along with an extra rep on every push up set, sit ups, and pull ups. It seemed as though Jeremiah had taken it easy on him.

Lelouch was sweaty when he got into the knightmare simulator. He normally used the simulator but there had been times when he had piloted the Weinberg foundation Sutherlands before with Bismark's instructions. He was lucky Jeremiah hadn't reported it. If his mother found out he used a Sutherland instead of a Callisto, the Ashford foundation equivalent, he would've been severely punished.

"So Jeremiah what type of training are we doing today," the prince asked while starting the simulation. Jeremiah didn't answer. It bothered Lelouch a little before he remembered that he was late for their meeting. It might be best to let him cool down a bit.

The simulation was an urban environment kind of like the Shinjuku ghetto. Orders flashed across the screen 'Operational Objective: Destroy All Enemies'. Lelouch smirked. This was his favorite actual combat simulation instead of the usual dexterity and knightmare limitation training. He scanned the area for his soon to be first opponent. His scanner picked up the enemy signal a minute in. It was a Chinese federation Gun-ru.

He had hoped that there would be more but it was possible this one was a scout and the others would come when it was destroyed. Lelouch took cover behind the remains of a building while carefully putting the Gun-ru in his crosshairs. In war it paid to be as pragmatic as possible. If he could take out an enemy without revealing location and saving ammunition he would.

Lelouch fired two shots both hitting the cockpit and destroying the unit. He withdrew to a building a bit higher up before checking the scanner for more signals. Two more Gun-rus appeared. Jeremiah was taking it careful today. Gun-rus and the EU knightmares traveled in groups of four. Maybe Jeremiah was cranking up the difficulty on the last one for him. It had been awhile since he had even come close to failing on the simulation and Lelouch relished the challenge.

Taking up his position he fired his rifle five more times. The first Gun-ru went down in two shots like the scout but the second Gun-Ru had managed to try and run to cover before being eliminated. Two average pilots were still too weak for Lelouch. He could only hope that the last one would be on Ace level difficulty. If he was it would be hard but Lelouch would be victorious, since he hadn't been taken out by Ace level in about a year.

Lelouch checked the scanners waiting for the Ace to appear when he saw three signals flare up. Something was off. There shouldn't be three signals. He thought quickly to himself. There were two possible options. Jeremiah had decided to put two squads against him or…

"Damn it Jeremiah, not endless mode again." This was the man's true revenge. He knew Lelouch well enough to figure out he hated losing more than anything. The ultimate way to stop hot shot pilots like himself was endless mode. It basically set the pilot up for failure, fighting an endless amount of opponents single handedly. No matter what a pilot tried he would either retreat, eject, or be destroyed. Unlike other simulations the automatic ejection was disabled.

The original design was to teach the pilots that not all battles are winnable and hence ejection or retreat could be better choices. The first time Lelouch took the test he managed to eject and therefore pass. However retreat was supposed to be the preferred method. The pilot could contact the instructor and say retreat when no enemies were near and that would end the simulation.

Lelouch hated it. There was nothing wrong with retreat, but in a simulation he saw it as pointless. There was always a clear line when it came to gain versus cost. As soon as cost outweighed the possible gain he had no issue retreating but to tuck your tail and run when nothing was at stake just seemed rather pointless. Then again he supposed with hot head pilots that would be an important lesson to instill early on.

"I have to keep you humble and aware of your abilities." Gottwald answered smugly. He must have enjoyed the prince's frustration. Jeremiah had to think he was clever devising a second part of the punishment.

"You know I'm not going to eject."

"Nobody ejects after they pass the lesson. Let's see if you can finally get close to Bismark or perhaps even your mother." Now there was a worthwhile goal. The simulations would add a soldier to each wave until the finish. As such it was common knowledge how the best knightmare pilots in the Empire stacked against each other.

His mother held the record on the simulator with 52 enemies destroyed before she ejected. She made it all the way to the tenth wave, a feat that only Bismark could repeat at 51. The next closest to them was the knight of nine Nonnette Ennegram boasting a 43. Behind her was Luciano Bradley at 39 (who not known to the public soldiers cheated by demanding to use his personal knightmare specs in the simulation). Then at the number five spot sat the Goddess of Victory Cornelia li Brittania at 37. Jeremiah himself had made it to 29.

It was just a matter of time before Lelouch engraved his own name on that list. Only military members were permitted to use the simulators but as a member of royalty, Lelouch had been exempt from that rule. Of course nobody could be made aware of that.

Lelouch took aim and destroyed the next three units with minimal effort. The simulation really began now. Most soldiers scored an average between three and seven. It was because once the four began showing up guerilla tactics wouldn't destroy all of the enemy units. Lelouch knew this as he took aim on the four new targets. He dispatched the first two before the new enemies began firing at him. He hid under cover for awhile before they finally came close enough to use close range combat weapons. In this simulation bullets were more precious than gold so it was better to save them when possible.

Lelouch fired his slash harkens into one Gun-ru and dragged it towards himself. As the other opened fire it only hit its compatriot. Lelouch threw it into the remaining Gun-ru just as his make-shift shield exploded, killing two birds with one stone.

The fifth wave came before Lelouch could get behind the cover he wanted. He had to use his knightmare's agility dodging the majority of the bullets while returning fire. Half of his ammo was gone when he destroyed the final Gun-ru. Not a great wave but he had taken minimal damage so it was acceptable.

Lelouch had climbed up on the city's largest hill by the time the sixth wave found him. His tactic this time was an old but effective one. He rolled a few cars down the hill as they charged at him but as they got closer he would shoot the car and it would either become aerial or explode. It was a benefit for him either way as it created chaos allowing Lelouch to charge in behind the cover of the final car. Only three were remaining by the time Lelouch went in for close range combat. He shot two slash harkens into one, while disabling one with his stun tonfa. The last one managed to get a crippling shot in before Lelouch exterminated it with his harkens.

His right arm had been blown off by the last Gun-ru. He was quickly was approaching his high score.

He thought of a new tactic just as the seventh wave approached. It was suicidal to go in now without a plan. He reengaged his iff signal to lure the Chinese federation to him. Once they were in the perfect spot where the street was right above the sewers he fired a slash harken into the ground, rupturing the street and effectively incapacitating all seven enemy units.

He only had a few precious seconds until Jeremiah would sic the eighth wave on him. He fired his slash harkens and ascended to the top of a building, waiting for the next units to show up on the screen. His remaining supplies were dwindling. He had about twenty kmf rifle rounds left with only one stun tonfa. Both of his slash harkens were still operational but with the arrival of eight new units Lelouch had to use his final ace in the hole. He had hoped to make it to the ninth wave with it but he just wasn't a good enough pilot yet.

As the eighth wave approached Lelouch picked off the farthest one on the outside of the formation. As he predicted they gathered into a tighter formation as they charged. Lelouch threw the chaos mine at the clustered attackers. Without any room to dodge the shrapnel pierced the hearts of multiple units, eviscerating them. The squadron had a single Gun-ru left standing which Lelouch shot his slash harkens into finishing the round.

He had made it to Ace level status according to the empire rankings. Not to mention breaking his own record that tied with Jeremiah. Any pilot who had shot down thirty units in this simulation was considered an Ace. It was an unspoken requirement for eligibility into the knights of the round. Lelouch could count on his hands how many pilots had eliminated over thirty troops.

The ninth wave arrived with Lelouch out of ideas. With his final strategy gone Lelouch had filed for one of his crazier ideas. As the nine Gun-rus camped under his building Lelouch fired his remaining rounds into the crowd eliminating one target. The enemy began to climb the building. Lelouch hit two with his slash harkens before the remaining six emerged onto the roof. It was finally over. There was one key to surviving as long as possible which few people considered. Do not allow yourself to be surrounded. Right as the Gun-ru opened fire Lelouch had a flash of brilliance. He shot his slash harkens into the building while ejecting himself. The top floor buckled under the pressure of the harkens before collapsing damaging or destroying three of the six remaining units.

Upon the conclusion the lights in the cockpit turned on. He opened the simulator to find Jeremiah with a bottle of water for him sporting a grin.

"Congratulations Lelouch. Not only did you beat me, but also all but three of the knights of the round." It was only natural for Jeremiah to be proud. He had been the one who was training Lelouch the most.

"If there's nothing else I'm going to hit the showers." Jeremiah nodded as he walked away. As Lelouch passed the hangar he noticed new models.

"Greeting my lord! Checking out the Lancelot are we?" Lloyd burst as he jumped to the prince's side.

"Sure Lloyd, you know I'm always interested in new knightmares." It was just a shame that he didn't develop exclusively for the Ashford foundation. The Lancelot belonged to Prince Schneizel which shot his chances of ever piloting it in battle.

"Were you thinking of becoming our test pilot maybe hmmmm?" Lloyd asked in his usual weird way. If it was that simple than he would love to, but there were politics in play.

"I wish I could Lloyd but I'm afraid the second prince might have a problem handing over his new knightmare to another prince for no reason." It was true. Even if he and Schneizel got along it didn't mean that he would be allowed to pilot the knightmare. "What about the other knightmare beside it?"

"Oh, Don't worry about that thing. Its temperamental and won't let any of our testers pilot it." This piqued Lelouch's curiosity but he had begun to smell himself and was desperate for a shower.

"Maybe it just needs the right pilot. I need to be going though, I want to hear about your new knightmare plans in the future though. Maybe even a customized one for myself!" Lelouch called back as he walked towards the showers.

"If you sponsor it I'll make it for you!" Lloyd said waving farewell to the young prince. He always wanted to design personal knightmares. Being able to raise the specs was fun but it drastically lowered the amount of capable pilots. In area 11 alone there might be two people able to pilot the Lancelot to his personal standards. He would never allow a sub par pilot to own one of his specially designed machines.

A right pilot for the other machine though. There already was one if she wouldn't be so blasted difficult all of the time…

Author Note: My longest chapter yet. I contemplated separating it into two but decided against it since its all set the same day. Introduced Kallen and Suzaku. With the heads of state being executed including his father, Suzaku has a hatred of the country that took everything from him. Unlike Canon he has no experience with any of the nice people in Brittania. Naoto also joined the JLF with the rest of his resistance group including Kallen. Tohdoh is now head of the JLF with the capture and execution of Katase. Also a little bit of a change in Lelouch's attitude, with Nunnally being alright instead of crippled he hasn't been ignoring other girls, which in turn has made him far smoother with women. He can still be a bit of an idiot with girls but he won't miss the obvious anymore.

If you have any questions please let me know in a review. Reviews are like crack to me, the more I get the more I will be addicted to writing, so let me know what you think good or bad. Thanks and I hope you enjoyed my update

Also just a thought, you know all writers are assholes when someone makes a love confession and that marks them for death. Or even that the guy who talks about going home/ his girlfriend in war is usually the one that dies first. That is some messed up shit.

Disclaimer: I do not own Code Geass or Dante's Inferno. If I did Ohgi would be in the ninth level of hell beside Judas and Brutus.


	6. Half-Blood

Author Note: Hi fanfic nation. I just wanted to inform you that if I have the opportunity to reflect a scene from the original source I'm going to do so. Also I'm not sure if everyone is going to continue to like me as I get more into Code Geass type of action. You can count the episodes on a single hand where nothing bad happens to Lelouch and I'm going to try and reflect that if just a little bit. Marianne Flash Suzaku didn't kill his father in this AU because he never met Lelouch and wasn't as stubborn about ending the war. So his personality is more of his childhood mixed with a war survivor. He also doesn't have a martyr complex anymore but much is a bit angrier versus his mellow britannian soldier version.

* * *

A loud crash outside kallens room had woke her up that morning. She grabbed the robe hanging by her bed to cover up before searching for the cause. She was greeted to the scene of a shattered chandelier and the house maid lying next to a broken step stool.

"I'm sorry kallen. I was fixing the decorations when the ladder broke."

"Whatever, just pick everything up. I'm going to be heading to school."

"The miss has been going to school a lot recently."

"Yes I have, not that it's any of your business." Kallen retreated to her room. Why couldn't the maid just leave her alone? Didn't she make it clear that she didn't want her here anymore? Kallen stifled a tear as she dressed for school.

It was a typical day for Kallen, nothing really out of the ordinary. She had gotten a call from Milly about coming over later to review her transcripts but hadn't put much thought into it until the doorbell rang. She had been expecting to see Milly standing in the doorway but instead a raven haired boy was waiting instead talking amicably with the maid.

"Lelouch what are you doing here" she said trying to sound frail. Lelouch seemed like he would be a bit harder to fool than others.

"Well madam president became a bit busy with the festival next week so she elected me to come in her place." Kallen's stepmother decided to rear her head around as soon as she heard Lelouch's voice.

"Just as I thought a boy. It makes sense since you are always sneaking off to the ghettos. Is he the one that keeps bringing you there?" the stepmother asked. Before Kallen could respond Lelouch came to her defense.

"Ah madam Stadtfeld I presume. I'm sure Kallen has told you about how the new festival would be only using the freshest organic vegetables in Area 11 which as you know are most abundant near the ghettos. The president thought it would be better to use what is at our disposal instead of flying perishable food all the way from Brittania.

"Well I would seem to disagree with our president then. If it were me I would spare no expense to have Brittanian produced vegetable."

"I'm sure you would order food from the homeland. It would just be the unfortunate consumer who would become ill when eating the spoiled food. Exactly the type of class I would expect from you madam Stadtfeld," Lelouch fired back. The look of pure loathing on madam Stadtfeld's face was priceless. She would never expect a common school boy to sass her. Kallen loved seeing her stepmother being trounced in a battle of wits, but if she let it continue Lelouch might be thrown out of the house before she could get her transcripts.

"Lelouch I believe you have something to discuss with me. We'll be in my room," she barked at her mother in a hurry to leave. She grabbed Lelouch's hand and pulled him with her before the step monster could try and give a retort.

She gave a sigh of relief when she managed to get Lelouch upstairs without an incident. Wait. Lelouch was upstairs. In HER room. Kallen's face flushed fire red at the thought. She had never had a boy besides her father or brother in her room before. Not even Ohgi had been there yet, although that was more because the wicked witch of a step mother rather than Ohgi not being close to her. He had always been like family and it was him she went to visit when she was in the Ghettos, aside from when she was working. Now there was a strange boy that she had just brought to her inner sanctum. They sat quiet for a moment before Lelouch decided to break the silence.

"Here's your transcripts. Sorry that the seal is broken but the president couldn't help but look." Panic washed over Kallen. If they had looked at her transcripts they would've seen her mother's name. Would Milly keep quiet about it? Of course not. Milly had one of the biggest mouths on campus. She was legendary at Ashford for the juiciest gossip. There would be no way this would escape her notice. Apparently Kallen hadn't done a good job of keeping her emotions off her face as Lelouch sought to comfort her.

"Don't worry. Milly won't tell anyone."

"I don't know what you're talking about?" Kallen snapped. Well it was obvious Lelouch knew. The bastard had either looked inside her transcript or Milly had started blabbing to him. Either way it was best to deny the allegations.

"We can play this game if you want. I won't tell anyone, I promise you that. It's just that you can see the familial resemblance in both of your faces. If you don't want people to connect the dots then you probably shouldn't be in any room together."

She wasn't sure if she was angry or relieved hearing his response. She supposed that she didn't have a choice but to hold him to his word. Lelouch didn't seem like the type to go spewing secrets. He had already proven better than most Brittanians.

"Fine but I'll hold you to that promise. My mother is the maid you saw out there. When Area 11 came to fruition my father realized a member of nobility couldn't be married to a number. He divorced her discretely but my mom just won't leave. It's pathetic that she's chasing after a man who has already abandoned her," Kallen confessed. It left a pang of bitterness as the words dropped from her lips but she couldn't help but speak her mind. Her respect for her mother had crashed to an all time low. She just wanted her to forget about her father and go start a new life.

"That makes more sense now. I was wondering why you seemed to favor the elevens. Most Brittanians go out of their way to discriminate numbers but it seemed like you were repulsed by the idea," he reasoned.

"Well what about you? Most Britannians disdain half breeds. They think the mixing of nationalities should be considered a crime if there is no gain. What do you think Lelouch? Are you going to patronize me now with that judgmental attitude of yours?" She might not have been fair but couldn't help herself. Lelouch had proved himself exceptional but she was baring her past to him. It made her feel vulnerable, like she had to defend herself by attacking him.

"I'm sorry you think that way Kallen. I've delivered your transcripts so I'm heading back to Ashford," Lelouch said as he got up from his chair and headed for the door. Kallen wanted to stop him but was too proud to apologize. No, it was probably better this way. Now he would leave her alone. As he reached the door he turned back to her.

"Blood isn't all that makes you, you Kallen. If anyone is going to treat you differently because they learn of this secret they weren't true friends to start with. As for me you could be a full blood, half blood, or even a number, I don't give a damn." He proclaimed as he shut the door behind him.

At his words Kallen felt her cheeks burn. He was no ordinary boy. Everything he said and did had a certain amount of elegance to it. She caught her train of thought before it was too late. No, this couldn't be happening. Not to her. She already knew the solution to suppress these feelings. She would dive head first into work. It hadn't taken her a minute to get changed and call Suzaku. She desperately needed a distraction in the form of a JLF mission.

* * *

Lelouch had been keeping himself busy with the festival all day. It hadn't been much of a surprise when Kallen hadn't shown up for classes this week. She probably just needed some time to adjust that Lelouch was more than happy to give. With her disappearance and the festival drawing closer the student council work had become a nightmare. Milly had been working him and the others on the council like servants. He had caught a break when the call to pick up the fresh tomatoes came in.

"Hey Milly the tomatoes are ready. I'm going to take the truck and pick them up," Lelouch yelled as he started running away.

"Hey Prez I'm going to help Lelouch," Euphie called as she caught up to Lelouch. Milly just nodded her head in one of her clipboards.

"Hey wait I want to go too," Rivalz cried before Milly pulled him back.

"Two people are quite enough to pick up tomatoes for the pizza," Milly commanded. She left no room for debate in her voice as Rivalz hung his head. Now he would have to pick up the slack for the two missing members.

"Skipping out on work Euphy?" Lelouch joked with his half sister.

"You're one to talk with your ditching and gambling. Besides Milly has enough people to help out and I want to spend some quality time with you," Euphy smiled. Lelouch laughed which made him run even slower. It had been awhile since he had spent time with Euphy outside of the council. Unlike Nunnally he didn't feel the need to check up on her, a trait that his baby sister wasn't pleased with. It was his job, even if Nunnally was becoming more independent and wanted to spend less time with him. It probably didn't help that her friends asked when her "hot" brother would be around, to her mortification and his amusement.

"Alright don't slow me down," Lelouch smirked as he hopped into the truck. Euphy jumped into the passenger side as they took off. He suppressed a snicker as he looked at the destination. He hadn't been lying to Lady Stadtfeld when he told her the student council would be going by the ghettos to pick up vegetables, even if Kallen hadn't been with them.

The car ride had been fun. It had taken awhile because of the congested traffic in the Tokyo settlement but they talked the entire ride and had even sung along to a few of the songs on the radio. They giggled telling each other that neither had a future in the music industry.

When they arrived at the location the eleven workers began loading up the boxes. Milly always went a little overboard demanding a two meter wide pizza. For that they would need a large amount of tomatoes to turn into sauce. As the workers loaded up Lelouch saw red hair in the corner of his eye. He twisted his head quickly to see what looked like Kallen running behind some Eleven. It seemed that her mother hadn't been totally off base when she said Kallen had been hanging around the ghettos.

He wanted to go after Kallen but couldn't risk leaving Euphemia near the ghetto. He came up with a quick solution on how to get her to drive home without him. While she was waiting for him in the car he sent her a text.

_Hey I'm off to play another match. Drive the truck back to campus. Thanks Euphy._

_Lelouch_.

Euphy huffed as she read the text. Rotten jerk she thought. Of course he would want to leave the student council when he freed himself of Milly. It might've been why he didn't mind bringing her along too. He could've brought her along so she could drive back. You could never tell with Lelouch. He always seemed to be three steps ahead of everyone else.

Lelouch didn't like lying to Euphy but it was for her own good. He had no idea what Kallen was doing down here but was determined to find out. He didn't like being left in the dark, especially when that person was constantly around his friends and family. He had to make a quick call first, not knowing how long this detour would take. The phone rang twice before he heard his little sister pick up.

"Hello,"

"Hey Nunnally. I'm sorry but I'm not going to be back in time to make you dinner. If you want to eat with your friends tonight we could reschedule," Lelouch said. He hoped she would take him up on the offer but Nunnally was at that age. Lately she would hang around her friends all day except at student council. They had made a deal when they first started attending Ashford that at least once a week they would have a home cooked meal, just the two of them. It had originally been Nunnally's way of locking Lelouch down but recently Lelouch had been looking forward to the dinners more than Nunnally.

"Hmph. Fine. If you make me my favorite tomorrow I'll forgive you," she giggled. Lelouch grinned as he reassured her that he would and hung up.

It hadn't taken him long to catch up to the red head. He noticed that it was the angry boy he had seen her with the other day. Suzaku he thought his name was. What were they doing together though?

He didn't think she was the rebellious type to hang around an Eleven outside of his job. Maybe there was something going on between them. If he had been spying on a date Lelouch would be embarrassed. Especially if someone saw him, it would look disastrous.

Maybe it just wasn't any of his business. They were just walking together. In the ghetto. Where a bunch of thugs crowded by a warehouse. Lelouch did a double take as he saw that. It looked like an abandoned factory. A remnant of Japan's past. Most of the supply factories had either been destroyed or abandoned after the invasion. Only the ones that had been in the boundaries of the settlement had been saved.

It could just be a coincidence couldn't it. It wouldn't be the first time a noble girl looking for a wild time got in over her head.

Right as Lelouch thought that the gang approached the two. One of them pulled out a gun as they surrounded the two. Three members of crew led Suzaku and Kallen into the warehouse. The stakes had just been raised. No one else had seemed to notice. Lelouch might have been trained for combat but without a knightmare, even with the element of surprise, it was still a death trap. No, the safe play now was to get out as quick and silent as possible and call the police. If a call came in from a Brittanian about trouble in the ghetto they would race to crack down on the numbers. It would be the only time Lelouch could think of where a number prejudice might save the day.

As he stalked a way from a distance his ringtone went off as the gang took notice of his presence. The man who approached him looked like the leader or bare minimum the muscle. He opened his coat quickly to flash his gun. The threat was immediate.

He had two options right now. Start sprinting with the hope of escape or comply and pray that they didn't want to go through the trouble of killing a Brittanian. A dead Brittanian would bring an enormous investigation and crack down on the ghettos. If the risk wasn't substantial common criminals wouldn't resort to murder. Only terrorists would be that bold.

Lelouch had never been the fastest guy around but no one he knew could outrun a bullet. He had to think logically. If he went now a better chance of escape might present itself. He followed the man into the factory.

The leader of the crew of seven was an ogre. He was at least two hundred centimeters tall and built like a wall of muscle. He approached Lelouch hesitantly before speaking in a heavy Eleven accented Brittanian.

"Phone now." Lelouch handed over his cell phone without complaint. It would do him little good now. Nunnally would have told Jeremiah not to expect him until late so any sort of help wouldn't be coming for awhile. Lelouch was alone for this one.

"So school boy, what're you doin outside ta settlement?"

"I thought I saw a friend of mine down in the ghetto. I was going to check up on her and see if everything was alright," Lelouch answered. It wasn't true but the best lies all had a ring of truth around them. With any luck they would see him as a love struck idiot that just followed a crush into the wrong part of the ghetto. The ogre frowned at him as he pulled out his phone. He made a gesture to his five other men as he started talking.

The men hauled Lelouch to his feet and deposited him into a supply closet, slamming the door behind him. Lelouch surveyed it quickly to see that Kallen and Suzaku were trapped with him. They wasted no time interrogating him.

"What are you doing here Lelouch?! How did you even get involved in this mess?" Kallen started. He didn't see any benefit to lying so he told the truth.

"I thought I saw you while we were picking up the ingredients for the festival. When I found you, the two of you were brought into this warehouse. Before I could call for help they trapped me too."

Suzaku looked on edge as he analyzed Lelouch. He whispered something in Kallen's ear that Lelouch couldn't make out besides the word spy. Suzaku seemed paranoid but Lelouch didn't dispense trust easily either.

"Well it looks like we're all stuck here now. Make yourself at home it'll be awhile before someone finds us," Suzaku grumbled. There was something off with him. He had no doubt what so ever that they would get out of this intact. He wasn't your average Eleven. He still had a vast amount of pride and unbroken spirit something that most Elevens hadn't maintained. Lelouch wasn't about to sit back and wait to be rescued. That was for princesses in old fairy tales.

"Thank you but no. I intend to leave in the next thirty minutes with you two in tow. Just follow my lead and don't get in my way," Lelouch answered. Suzaku glared at him but he didn't care. He never liked a defeatist attitude. Why would he not try to do something if he could? It baffled him.

"And how do you plan to accomplish that?" Kallen questioned. He didn't exactly know. He had to know his assets first.

He looked around the room for something he could use. He saw a lighter and formulated a plan with it. Grabbing the lighter and a few papers he lit them on fire and held them to the sprinkler system. If the gang was using this warehouse to sell drugs they probably had the main utilities still functioning.

As the fired burned the sprinkler system engaged. As the water poured down from the ceiling Lelouch hid next to the wall where the door would cover him up. It took a minute before two of the thugs burst in there seeing Suzaku and Kallen.

Lelouch sprang out of his concealment delivering a hard elbow to the back of his targets neck. The man went down hard while Lelouch got the other one in a sleeper hold. He was passed out within forty five seconds.

They used zip ties to handcuff the men to the metal shelves. Suzaku looked impressed.

"You're a better fighter than I thought you would be slim," Suzaku teased.

"That's the pot calling the kettle black." Lelouch laughed. Suzaku didn't look much bigger than him. His fighting style came from speed and precise movements rather than brute strength.

Lelouch snuck his head out of the room to see two of the men frantically putting boxes into trucks. He wondered if the warehouse was set up to the alarm system that would alert the fire department. He doubted it but the gang didn't want to risk the chance.

The three teens were accosted by the men as soon as they left the supply room. Lelouch didn't have the element of surprise anymore. The odds of him defeating two men without a weapon were low. Suzaku nodded his head to the smaller looking one. Lelouch hoped that meant what he thought it did.

The boys charged at the men. Lelouch dodged the man's first blow to deliver a jab to his opponent's gut. As he hunched over for air Lelouch jammed his knee as hard as he could into the man's nose. He heard a crunch as the force from the blow caused the man to tumble backward concussed.

Suzaku hadn't waited for his opponent to strike. He threw four rapid shots into the man's face and stomach. He followed with a roundhouse kick throwing the man off his feet. The boys gaped at each other, both astounded at the other's fighting skill.

"Time to go," Lelouch said as he moved toward the door. Behind him he heard a metal door roll up. Kallen who had been quite this entire time let out a gasp. She forgot everything as she moved toward the remaining gang members. They didn't bother with her though seeing the two boys as the immediate threat. They surrounded the two as they stood back to back.

"How many can you take?" Lelouch asked.

"I could take all three if you need a break."

"Ok you take the cronies, I'll take the ogre."

"And here I was hoping you'd just run away like a normal Brittanian."

"I wouldn't bet on it. The king has to lead if he wants his subordinates to follow."

"I don't remember choosing you as our leader!" Suzaku growled. Lelouch laughed. It was too easy to manipulate Suzaku's anger. He might not trust Suzaku but couldn't be picky with his allies. He was a terrific fighter, and Lelouch would be stupid not to use his help.

The three gang guys burst into hysterics at the teenagers' exchange. The boys were serious as Suzaku dashed toward the two. He swept one's legs that the other dodged. As the man extended his arm to grab him, Suzaku took hold and flipped the man over his shoulder. After a flurry of blows both men laid on the ground defeated.

Lelouch had a more difficult time. His opponent was massive. He couldn't let the fight come to a contest of strength. He made a quick analyzation of his opponent as the man ran at him. First move use his momentum against him. Lelouch moved out of the way at the last second hooking their legs together to trip the man. He hadn't been able to catch himself and crashed head first into the ground.

Second move now that the target was disoriented target weak points. As the man stood up he was off balance. He must have had a crippling headache from his fall as he approached his prey with caution. Lelouch had to press his advantage. He feinted with his right hand to snake a kick behind the man's knee. The knee cap folded under the sudden pressure forcing the ogre to a knee. Lelouch capitalized elbowing him with as much force as he could muster in the temple. The ogre's head jerked to the right but he wasn't done. The man grabbed Lelouch's arm and pulled him into a sharp jab in his stomach.

The air was knocked out of Lelouch as he hunched over. The muscle head then picked Lelouch up and threw him as far as he could muster. Lelouch hit the ground and bounced a few times rolling over to the wall. This wasn't good. At least the man didn't have the presence of mind to use the gun. When you challenged strong fools, rational thought was the first thing thrown out the window.

As the ogre approached Lelouch searched for something hard to use as a weapon. He grabbed a metal rod that had been rusted off the interior and forced himself up ready to defend. He hadn't needed it. Suzaku came to his rescue with a flying spin kick hitting right in the back of the ogre's head. Lelouch could see the moment his eyes went from conscious to unconscious. The man fell forward with a thud to Lelouch's relief.

"Told you I could take all three."

"I weakened him for you. Whatever it doesn't matter anymore." The prince said. His pride was a little shaken but he did owe Suzaku for the save. The boys looked to where Kallen had run to see her with a middle aged woman.

Lelouch recognized her a second later. It was the maid from the Stadtfeld house, Kallen's mother. It wasn't only the two of them in the back of the warehouse. There were around twenty elevens most spouting random dreams or hopes. Lelouch and Suzaku moved in closer listening to the crowd.

"I got in! Alright I'm going to study abroad."

"I'm getting married next week."

The people were having some sort of hallucination. Suzaku saw the confused look on Lelouch's face and spoke up.

"It's called refrain. It's a drug that makes you think your back in the past. After the war it was targeted at the subjugated Elevens. It helps 'keep us in line'." The words fell bitter from Suzaku's mouth. Lelouch wondered just how many cases of refrain use he'd seen. To Lelouch one was probably too many.

He hadn't even thought about how Kallen would react to seeing her mother in this state. There was her mother right in front of them on refrain, hallucinating about the past.

"Naoto watch out for your little sister," the maid muttered. Kallen was in tears.

"How weak of a woman are you? My brother is dead. He's never coming back," she sobbed. The mother gently wrapped her arms around her daughter. "It's alright Kallen. I'm here for you. Like I always will be."

The words struck Kallen in an epiphany. "Wait. The reason you stayed in that house was for me." Kallen was shocked as she realized. Her mother had become the maid in the house of her ex and had to put up with a horrible boss acting like a mother to her child because she wanted to be near Kallen. The red head broke down to her knees as she wept. Her mother held despite the drugged state she was in. The moment was shattered when sirens blared through the area.

The cops were coming which meant they had to go. If Lelouch was caught he might get in trouble but more likely his identity would be exposed. Suzaku would probably become a scapegoat if they caught him. Kallen's heritage might be revealed. Suzaku and Lelouch kicked the back door open as the prepared to leave. Kallen pulled her mother along who tried to resist, still on the effects of refrain.

"Damn it. We don't have time for this," Lelouch berated as he swept the mother into his arms. He had almost suggested leaving her but had stopped himself. He couldn't have left his mother if he was in Kallen's position so he wouldn't ask her to leave hers.

The maid struggled for a moment but wore herself out before passing out in Lelouch's arms. He followed Suzaku and Kallen as they ran in front of him. It was better to let them lead since they knew the area well.

The trio was able to escape undetected as the police burst in and arrested the gang members. They went to the edge of the ghetto where Lelouch put the slumbering maid down. He was exhausted but relieved that they had made it out without a snag. The question was what happened now.

"Kallen what are you going to do now? Will you be coming back to school?" Lelouch asked. There were too many unknowns that he had to figure out, but some pieces of the puzzle had started to fit together.

"I don't think so. At least not for awhile. I have to take care of my mother. She's the only family I have left." Kallen managed to squeak. Her voice was so soft that it could shatter on the wind. Her only family left. She had mentioned a brother earlier but Lelouch didn't bring it up. If and when she wanted to tell him she would, otherwise it was none of his business.

"I think your mom is starting to wake," he said. Kallen ran over to check on her mother. Lelouch grabbed Suzaku and pulled him out of earshot.

"Tell me now does Kallen know who you are?" Suzaku face went pale at the question. There was no way a Brittanian commoner would be able to recognize him. There hadn't been a public picture of Suzaku in six years.

"What are you talking about?" He answered stoically. Lelouch wondered if anyone would ever be forthcoming with him. It seemed like they all tried to play dumb whenever he raised a question, like that would stop him from figuring anything out.

"You know full well. I saw the way you fought. Everything was controlled and precise. An exemplary performance on hand to hand combat. You've been trained."

"I could say the same for you. With your build there's no way you could take out guards, yet you're deceptively strong. Then there's the matter of your battle pragmatism and aiming for enemies weaknesses. If I've been trained then so have you."

The boys stared each other down. It was like an old west showdown, both waiting for the other to try and take a shot. Lelouch's expression cracked first showing a mellow face. He knew it was the only way to leave without another fight. If Suzaku felt like his status was being threatened then there would be only one logical reaction to it. After his day Lelouch wasn't ready for another battle.

"You never told me why you were in the ghetto."

"Get used to disappointment." It seemed that was all he would be learning from Suzaku today. It seemed the airhead Stadtfeld family didn't check backgrounds before making their hires. He wasn't sure if he should give Kallen the benefit of the doubt.

"Fine one last question. Is Kallen a danger to the students at Ashford?" The words held a bite as they burned through the air. Personal matters were one thing but if it would affect his sisters of friends in any way then she couldn't be allowed back.

Suzaku glared at him in response. He probably thought his question was tactless but Lelouch couldn't afford to be subtle when it came to the safety of those close to him. It was better to be blunt and without misunderstandings.

Suzaku shook his head slowly. He would give Suzaku a modicum of trust with this and not find a way to expel her from the school. There was a nagging suspicion that Kallen was more than met the eye. He wouldn't exile her from Ashford until he had confirmation that she was a threat. He made a note to himself to keep an eye on her. Like the saying goes, keep your friends close and your enemies closer.

"I'll be going then. Tell Kallen goodbye for me," Lelouch started to walk away before saying over his shoulder. "Maybe we'll meet on the battlefield someday. Until then be safe Suzaku." The Japanese boy didn't respond to his taunt. It was a shame. Lelouch kind of liked Suzaku. He had the air of strength and resolve mixed with a stubbornness and ego of a child. If situations had been different they might have been friends. Alas it was not meant to be. There was little doubt that Suzaku was a member of a Japanese resistance. When Lelouch joined the Brittanian military their brief moment of camaraderie would be gone, vanished beneath the tide of untold stories as the boys would stand on opposite sides of the conflict.

The trek back to campus would've been brutal if Lelouch hadn't decided to take a cab. He arrived in his dorm late at night to find Nunnally waiting for him. She had a stern look on her face. It disagreed with her usual expression enough that it looked abnormal.

"You're back late, and here I went through all of the trouble to make you this," Nunnally said pulling out a bowl of soup. He smiled at his sister's kind gesture. It had been awhile since Nunnally had cooked but it was the thought that counted. His sister smiled as she watched him take the first spoonful.

Lelouch resisted the urge to spew the soup out. It was awful nothing redeemable about it. Nunnally just kept staring at him wanting to see him enjoy his meal. He had to take one for the team. He devoured the soup as quick as he could without puking. When he had finished Nunnally left with a satisfied look on her face. He hoped she wouldn't be cooking for him anytime soon. He even contemplated putting her in a cooking class before passing out.

* * *

Author Note: Another chapter in the books. More Kallen and Suzaku but their time with Lelouch is almost to an end. He can't stay at Ashford Academy forever, not when there's a world to fix. I added more layers to Nunnally besides sick peace monger. For those of you wondering about how I put Kallen and Suzaku as friends if you really think it makes sense. Even in Geass Suzaku tried to be friends with Kallen even after finding out she was a black knight in hopes of turning her. Now that they are on the same side I figured it would work. I probably will have to introduce an OC sometime in the near future or modify a canon one.

Any questions, comments, or concerns with my writing style let me know in a review. I want as much feedback as possible to try and make the story better even if it's just grammatical errors or prose crafting. Thanks for reading.

Disclaimer: I do not own Code Geass. If I did Suzaku wouldn't be spinning like a fairy all the time. Leave the kicking to Bruce Lee or Jackie Chan


	7. Festival

Author Note: Now that I'm writing a bit more I want to establish some goals for myself and the story. 1 Have my updates average 4000 words per chapter. 2 Update at least every other week. 3 Finish the story before the end of the year (might not hit that one, I won't sacrifice quality for speed unlike a certain second season).

The sky was a rife with clouds as they hung ominously through the sky. Lelouch thought it was fitting for the last day of the semester. The weather forecasters had predicted up to a seventy five percent chance at rain. Would that stop Milly, or at least get her to reschedule. Nope. Milly was determined to see this through.

She said the festival couldn't be delayed because Lelouch was leaving tomorrow and they could double it up as a going away party for their vice president. While it was true that Lelouch was leaving the next day it wouldn't bother him to miss the festival.

Growing up he had been apathetic about parties at best. At worst he loathed them. He could only explain it by citing his past experiences with Milly. Milly had practically put him through torture with her demands throughout the years. She was constantly changing what the festivals would need and Lelouch had to adapt to her most fleeting petty desires. He had become great at being able to change plans at an instant because of this.

Not to mention that he was never alone due to female companionship. He never considered himself a solitary person but everybody could use an hour or two of time for themselves. That wasn't what happened during festivals. If he wasn't in the bathroom then at least one girl that wasn't his sister was around him at all times. He had thought if he ran things from behind the scenes then maybe that wouldn't be the case. It was yet another instance of Lelouch being wrong. Instead the number of female volunteers to help with the festival skyrocketed. He had decided that if he couldn't beat them he might as well join them.

Today would be no different. He had already promised Milly and Shirley that he would play a game with each of them. It was his last day in Area 11 and he wanted to spend it with his truly close friends.

The festival had begun around noon. All of the classes were required to put on some type of booth with either games or food. Most of the clubs were participating in hopes of raising money for their events. It took about thirty minutes from their opening for the campus to be crowded with people.

Lelouch was having fun. Milly had decided since it was his last day he wouldn't be working the festival. This freed him up to play a few of the games and spend time with whatever council member was on their break.

"Lulu," Shirley called out as she jogged towards him.

"Hey Shirley. How long are you going to keep calling me that? It's a little embarrassing."

"Why? Is it because only boyfriends and girlfriends give each other nicknames?" She looked down at her feet. Could she be any more blatant?

"No. It's because Lulu's a girl's name." He tried to answer without letting a harsh comment slip. What guy would like that nickname he thought to himself.

"Well then no one else will call you it so you can just be my Lulu. Come on let's go play a game," she grinned pulling him towards a booth. Lelouch sighed realizing she didn't get it. Oh well it seemed like she wouldn't budge on this and there wasn't any point fighting about it when this could be the last time Lelouch saw her. Not that she knew that.

Shirley had brought him over to the archery club's marksmanship game. The game had a conveyer belt where contestants would take a cork rifle and try to shoot a slow moving line of ducks. The rifles held three shots apiece. If you managed to shoot two ducks you won a minor prize, all three was a major prize.

He had thought about letting her win before but now he couldn't hold back. His aiming skills were practically unmatched because of his rapid calculation of wind, weight, distance, and other variables. On shooting skills alone Lelouch could become a sniper. That being said there was no way his pride would let him lose to Shirley at a game where you shoot ducks moving like snails.

His competitive edge won out as he hit all three of his targets winning a stuffed purple hippo. Shirley meanwhile missed all of her targets and sulked. He didn't want to see her moping around all day so he gave her the hippo.

"Here," Lelouch said handing the plushy over to Shirley. He had originally won it for Nunnally but he doubted his little sister wanted more stuffed animals. Her bed in the dorms was already overflowing with the ones he won for her in previous festivals.

"Are you sure you want to give this to me Lulu."

"Yeah, Nunnally would probably throw a tantrum if I gave her another stuffed animal," he added hoping Shirley wouldn't get the wrong impression. That fear wasn't totally unfounded. Shirley's face blazed red as she mish mashed sentences together.

"I um, thanks…Lulu…See you," the orange hair girl said as she fled. He didn't like the feeling in the pit of his stomach. It felt like he was leading her on which sickened him. Shirley was obvious in search of a more deep relationship with him than friends but Lelouch couldn't let happen. He would be turning seventeen and joining the military in the next two months. Not to mention he was royalty and the only council members he would see on a regular basis would be his sisters and Milly. It was too cruel to do that to a compassionate girl like Shirley. He hoped she would move on with his departure.

There had been an unpleasant side effect of giving the hippo to Shirley.

"Lelouch is always winning prizes for his little sister. He's so sweet."

"Lelouch you're so good, win me one."

"I want one too vice prez," The crowd of girls had mobbed him. He narrowly managed to escape thanks to his slim figure. He hid behind a few of the booths waiting for the girls to calm down.

"Hey you, boy. Where am I supposed to go to eat the two meter pizza?" a feminine voice from behind him said. Lelouch turned around to be face to face with a green haired girl in a white military outfit. The clothes were definitely Britannian Military but were a customized style he had never seen before. Possibly a special operations unit. Why would a member of an unknown unit identify themselves at a public event?

"Um, the pizza isn't supposed to start cooking until five." He couldn't help but stare at her incredulously. She just stood out too much with the neon green hair and amber eyes. He couldn't break his gaze despite trying to multiple times.

"I see. This is unacceptable. I demand that you bring me to the person in charge of making the pizza."

"I don't know who you think you are but I don't respond to demands." The girl was annoying him. Besides the emperor and authority figures no one had the audacity to come up to him and start demanding things. Lelouch crafted an image of poise and dignity to the point where most people would naturally defer to him in matters of leadership, with the exceptions of adults and Milly.

"Looks like I'm on my own then," she said in an apathetic tone as she walked away. She was definitely a strange girl. She would probably be pissed when Lelouch piloted the old Ganymede to make the pizza. It was her fault for being rude. If she had asked him more politely then he might have told her he was in charge of making the pizza. He hadn't gotten three steps before he ran into another character.

"Where did that blasted girl go? First she orders me to take her here so she can try the gargantuan pizza and then when I refuse she threatens to stop all my tests. I really need to find a way to make everything automated," Lloyd ranted as he came upon Lelouch. A woman was in tow behind him with her face buried in her hands. Probably one of Lloyd's employees. Having to spend two days with the man was a hassle. He could hardly imagine having to see him five days a week.

"Ah your highness, why hello. You wouldn't have happened to see a green haired girl around here?" He asked. The woman jerked her head up at the word highness to get a look at the prince. She had grey eyes and dark purple hair cut above her shoulders and was dressed in orange military attire.

"Lloyd I would appreciate it if you didn't address me with honorifics while I am currently keeping my identity hidden." He spat at Lloyd. He knew the man didn't care but had to say it anyways.

"Right Right. Well I'm off." Lloyd said as he skipped away.

"I'm sorry my lord. Lloyd is just a bit, eccentric at times."

"I've known Lloyd for over three years now. I'm hardly upset about his quirks anymore. I don't think I've had the pleasure of making your acquaintance. My name is Lelouch vi Brittania," he said extending his hand. The woman took his hand, blushing a shade of pink. She obviously recognized his mother the military legend.

"It's an honor your highness. I'm Cecile Croomy."

"Well Ms. Croomy I would appreciate it if you addressed me as Lelouch from now on. I find honorifics to be rather impersonal."

"Of course your hig-Lelouch. Thank you."

"Also don't take Count Asplund's rant seriously. As you probably well know Lloyd is stubborn. He would have come here without the girl as an excuse to get a look at my mother's old Ganymede. He has been pestering me for quite some time to learn about the modifications she made to it," he smiled revealing the information about Lloyd. It was true. When Lloyd had found out that Marianne had donated her old frame back to the Ashfords he wanted to dissect it right away to see how she made the machine move faster. He couldn't accept that a pilot was able to be three times faster than common knightmares without any sort of modification. It was as if Marianne's brain was directly linked to the knightmare frame.

The reality was that nothing had been changed with the knightmare. She had just been that much better of a pilot than her competition until Bismark came around. Marianne had given her old frame to the Ashfords so that Lelouch could practice with a real knightmare in the storage area under the school. He abused that privilege ruthlessly until he made a small hole in the wall with the knighmare's arm. He hadn't been allowed to pilot it regularly after that. Now the only time he could pilot it was once a year to help make the festival pizza. He hadn't complained though since it was his fault.

While talking to Cecile Lelouch noticed Kallen coming in. It was perfect timing.

"Ms. Croomy It was a pleasure to meet you but I still have some student council business to attend to before I bake the pizza. If you would excuse me," Lelouch said as he walked towards the red head. Cecile waved as the prince left before she went back to tracking Lloyd down.

He walked over to the entrance before sliding next to Kallen as she walked through the festival.

"Hi Kallen. I didn't think you'd be attending the festival today," He said leaving a bit of spite in his voice. She had ditched out on all of the student council work and then had the audacity to come to the festival. She was a bold one alright. Hell, bold enough to possibly be a terrorist. Another reason why Lelouch would not be giving her free reign during the festival.

"Oh I was feeling better so I thought I might come," she replied in with her sick girl impression. Lelouch wasn't buying it for a second. He had seen her get mad and in those moments her true self shined through. Kallen was definitely an actress. It was fine, he had already considered what he would do if these event unfolded. A devilish smirk appeared on his face.

"That's great. I hear your class actually needs help with their attraction. Hold on a minute," he said as he whipped out his phone. He pressed the buttons rapidly before shoving it back into his pocket. "There now your class knows about you coming to help them. They're in room 144. Alright I have to get this pizza ready to be cooked. Maybe I'll check out your class attraction later."

Lelouch left Kallen dumbfounded standing in the middle of the walkway. He had made sure that she couldn't stay in the festival without repercussion. Kallen would have to head over to her class to maintain her cover. It was the perfect scenario. They would keep Kallen occupied and away from his friends. To make it even better it would incorporate a punishment since her class was putting on a horror house. She would have to get dressed in ridiculous clothes and make up. When he visited her he might just bring a camera. As tempting as taking pictures sounded he had other responsibilities to take care of now, mainly the pizza.

He went through the school staff elevator down into the storage area. In the corner of the room rested his mother's old knightmare the Ganymede. It stood a little under six and a half meters tall with Marianne's blue, white, and gold colors. Unlike the newer models of knightmares this unit had an open cockpit so the pilot could see everything with their own eyes instead of by screen.

Lelouch climbed into the unit feeling a little nostalgia. He flipped a few of the switches on and entered the access code. The knightmare roared to life as he began moving it toward the metal gateway to the school plaza. He pulled out his phone and sent a ready confirmation to Milly.

The metal gate to the outside began to rise. As it reached the top the sun came in making the knightmare shine. He could hear Milly trying to excite the crowd.

"And to make our pizza dreams come true we have our very own vice president piloting the knightmare Lelouch Lamperouge."

The applause from the introduction was a bit overwhelming. He sized up the crowd to see that almost everyone who was attending the festival was watching him now. No pressure. He just had to handle the knightmare like he had done countless times.

He took a few steps over to the dough before he started stretching it to the necessary lengths. He concentrated on the task but couldn't help noticing Lloyd and the green haired girl. He looked like he was in Nirvana trying to sketch every aspect of the machine. The girl on the other hand looked livid. As far as Lelouch was concerned it didn't even matter.

With a few flips of the knightmares hands Lelouch laid down the two meter pizza dough onto the giant pizza paddle. The participants were ready to add the ingredients. They lathered the tomato sauce over the dough and threw other ingredient on as well. Lelouch was half paying attention as he stared at the sky. It had the smell of rain as more dark clouds started to converge.

Milly signaled him when the people had finished. He gave the knightmare a smooth pull and grabbed the pizza paddle depositing the pizza in the specially made oven. Everyone smiled as they grabbed their plates. Even the green haired girl stopped frowning with a look of anticipation brightening her face.

The timer for the pizza read thirty minutes. Milly had started talking to entertain the crowd. Public speaking was her forte after all. Right as she was detailing what would happen after the pizza had finished a stir went through the crowd. A drop of rain landed on Lelouch's head. This was not good.

Rain began to hail down from the sky as the crowd began to retreat to the school to stay dry. Lelouch had to wait until everyone had cleared his path before he could move the knightmare back into storage. He was drenched from staying outside too long. There hadn't been a choice though with the chance of him having an accident with a student in the rainy conditions.

Milly really should have watched the weather more carefully. Today turned out to be a disaster festival wise. He had just heard thunder crack behind him as he shut the metal gateway closed. He powered down the Ganymede and dismounted relieved to have the chance to change his clothes. He was lucky that the Ashford Staff had never bothered to move his stuff.

When the Ganymede had first arrived a few years ago Lelouch wanted to spend days at a time with it. He found a solution to that by bringing down an old mattress as well as a few spare clothes. Lelouch picked up an old t-shirt and tried it on. It was tight and barely reached his belt but it would work for now. He tossed his wet shirt and jacket down on the ground as he heard a squeak.

He whirled around and grabbed a person that had been hiding behind a few of the crates. He was surprised to look upon his pink haired sister.

"Euphy what are you doing here?" Lelouch asked. It seemed strange that she would run into the storage when the others were in the main complex building. The only reason he hadn't joined them was because he had to get the Ganymede out first.

"I wanted to see if you were alright." Euphy said looking away. She was a horrible liar. He had learned from Schneizel how to spot peoples' tells. The majority of people had some type of facial tick or body gesture that would tell when they were lying. Lelouch had to train for years to get rid of his like his brother Schneizel. Euphy was obvious in this regard. Any time she would tell a lie she would look down or her voice would fluctuate. It was cute.

"Thanks Euphy. I'm fine though. Let's go back upstairs and join the others," Lelouch said as he grasped the princess's hand. As he walked forward though Euphy remained still.

"Euphy is there something wrong?" A roll of thunder rushed by and Euphy cringed from the sound. Now he understood. Euphy didn't want to go upstairs because she'd be embarrassed.

"Euphy we don't have to go upstairs. We can wait down here until the storm is over. Come on I had a mattress brought over a few years ago. We can stay together just like we used to," Lelouch calmed her. She looked up gratefully and ran into Lelouch's arms. They laid there cuddling like when they were children. After all these years Euphy was still afraid of thunder.

* * *

Not much time had passed since Cornelia had left to join the military. Her sister could be a real idiot sometimes. Didn't she know that if she went into the military they wouldn't be able to stay together. Euphy couldn't understand any motivation that would make her leave.

It was probably because of that man. The man she had to call her father. She knew if the royal children were to survive they would become useful. Anyone who was not deemed useful would eventually be discarded. That was just the way the empire worked. As children they couldn't prove their usefulness. It burned inside Euphy that she wasn't older. Then she could be with her sister.

What was she thinking? She couldn't be with her sister. Not down that path anyways. Cornelia had always held Marianne in high esteem for her military prowess. Euphy also held her in high esteem but for a different reason. Her kindness.

Marianne had acted like a second mother after their mother had passed. She had been a comfort in the cold world of the imperial family. Even after Cornelia decided to move back home, so as not to intrude on the vi Brittania's kindness, Marianne still watched over her day after day. Euphy spent much more time at the vi Brittania home then her own and Cornelia couldn't say a thing since she wasn't there anymore.

One day there had been a storm. Euphy had always been terrified of the clatter of lightning. Unlike before though she couldn't curl up with Cornelia. As the thunder shook the room Euphy knew she couldn't be by herself. She exited the guest bedroom and headed towards Nunnally's room. As she reached the door she knocked softly while whispering her name.

"Nunnally are you awake?" She was hoping the other princess would be just as afraid as she was. When no answer came Euphy fell to her knees. She crawled up into a ball as thunder clashed about.

"Euphy is that you?" she heard a voice ask. She looked up desperately searching for the voice to see Lelouch standing with a lamp. The prince looked at her softly as she stood up.

"Yeah what are you doing here?" she asked trying to avoid a question she knew was coming.

"Force of habit. I've been checking on Nunnally every thunderstorm for the last two years. Lately she sleeps right through them though," Lelouch chuckled. "What are you doing here?"

Euphy stayed silent trying to fabricate an answer. She couldn't tell Lelouch the truth. He would think she was a baby. Especially since his baby sister wasn't even bothered by storms anymore. She was about to answer when a pass of thunder sounded off. Euphy jumped and clung to Lelouch's arm.

She was so embarrassed. She was afraid to look up at Lelouch. She inched her head up to see Lelouch with a comforting smile on his face.

"You can stay with me tonight if you want," he offered. Euphy nodded gratefully as he took her hand and led her to his room. She climbed onto Lelouch's bed and hid under the covers as the prince sauntered over and climbed in after her.

As she moved closer she put her back against his chest. He reciprocated by draping his free arm around her stomach. It felt safe. Within a few moments Euphy could tell that Lelouch had fallen asleep. The slow beat of his heart matched the warm breath crawling down Euphy's neck. As sleep took her it was the only time she ever enjoyed a thunderstorm. The next morning Euphy and Nunnally had their first fight over who was going to marry Lelouch.

* * *

The storm had lasted most of the night which meant that Euphy and Lelouch stayed down in storage. By the time he had woken up to find the storm was over it was already eight a.m. His plane was leaving for Brittania at ten. He said a quick goodbye to Euphy as he ran towards his room in the dorms.

As he entered his room he did a fast check to see that he hadn't forgotten anything. It had been a good decision when he almost forgot to bring a list of his friend's phone numbers.

His old phone had been thrashed in the storm to the point where it wouldn't even start anymore. Lelouch had been lucky that he kept a hard copy of his closest friends' numbers. He shoved the list into his bag as he slung it over his shoulder. A feeling of nostalgia lingered as he closed the door to his dorm one final time.

As he walked out of the front doors to Ashford one final time he saw Jeremiah waiting with the car in the front. All of the student council had gathered next to Jeremiah as he walked towards them.

"Didn't think we'd let you leave without a goodbye did you?" Milly teased. Of course he didn't but when he might be late for his flight he kind of hoped. Rivalz jumped in front of her.

"You better be ready for next semester. Senior year, you and I are going to tear up the gambling scene!" Rivalz said as they high fived. It was sad to say goodbye to his best friend through school. It was even worse with him hiding the fact that he was a prince, but with Nunnally and Euphy staying at the school he couldn't reveal himself. Now he was saying goodbye to the friend that hadn't known the biggest secret in his life.

"Take care of yourself Lulu and no more gambling! I'll see you next semester for sure," Shirley said as she gave him a quick hug. The orange haired girl stepped back allowing Nunnally to tackle him.

"Big brother! You have to make sure you write me at least once a week. Tell Mom I miss her. Send me some souvenirs from the homeland too," Nunnally babbled. She had a penchant for trying to talk faster than her mouth would allow. Lelouch did keep those promises however. He would always be as close to his baby sister as she needed. After a quick embrace she got off of him.

"Um goodbye Lelouch. Have a safe trip," Nina mumbled. She had always been shy. Probably because of all the time she spent on her computer. She was indoors conducting experiments so often that her skin had become a ghostly pale. Lelouch thanked her and she floated to the back of the council. He noticed a pink blur running towards him

Euphemia jumped on his back and forced him to take a step forward correcting his balance. "Keep out of trouble Lelouch. I mean it," Euphy tried to say with brass. Lelouch rolled his eyes at her. "Have a great time and I'll see you soon."

Kallen looked hesitant in the group. Lelouch figured she might. She was probably happy that he was leaving. It would mean that someone who knew her secret would be gone. Her discomfort because of her rebellious attitude stood out from the group. Kallen looked as though she wanted to dash away any minute, hoping the goodbyes would end with haste.

"Kallen."

"Lelouch, I-" the girl started. She mulled a thought over for a second before continuing "Never mind. Have a safe flight and I'll look forward to seeing you in the future." Lelouch just nodded as he shook her hand.

Now the goodbye he had been dreading. Milly had a certain swagger as she approached him. The devious look on her face suited her.

"Well I guess I'm going to have to wait to seduce you into sharing my bed," Milly chided Lelouch. She rarely was this direct. For the first time in years she had made him blush. He wasn't alone as all of the other council members turned a similar shade.

"Milly if you're so lonely you could take it up with the numerous boys that would kill to get a chance with the president," he recovered. He hadn't meant a word of it. If someone did try and get close to her there was a chance he might even be jealous. A small chance.

"Lelouch to say you are so interchangeable. You really need to learn more about the woman's heart. How fickle do you think I am?" Milly complained. She winked at him to show she was joking. Sometimes her sarcasm didn't register to everyone.

"A little fickle but you can't replace something you never had. We could always fix that though," Lelouch countered. For the first time in years Lelouch saw Milly blush. He hadn't expected it and couldn't restrain a cackle. Milly went back on the offensive.

"Uh. Why don't you just get going already. If you take any longer you'll miss your flight." Lelouch laughed at the flustered Milly. He walked to the car waving goodbye to his friends. As they arrived at the airport Lelouch grabbed his bags out of the trunk waving off Jeremiah's assistance. He walked toward his terminal with Jeremiah in tow until he reached his gate.

"It seems this is goodbye master Lelouch," the older knight said. This was just like Jeremiah continuing on with him for as long as possible. For six years Jeremiah had watched out for himself and Nunnally. The man had become like family to him. Whenever his mother or Bismark hadn't been around he went to Jeremiah for advice.

He was one that staunchly supported Lelouch's plan to join the military to his mother. Nobody with half a brain stood up to Marianne and yet Jeremiah did so without hesitation. It was going to be another hard goodbye. Jeremiah would be staying with Nunnally in Area 11 so Lelouch would most likely not see him for at least a year. Having seen him almost every day for the past nine years Lelouch couldn't imagine what it would be like without him.

"After all these years you still use honorifics. If anyone has earned the right to call me by name it is you Jeremiah."

"I probably always will my prince."

"Do you regret it?" the prince asked. Jeremiah looked at him questioning so he elaborated. "You were chosen as the royal guard to Empress Marianne yet you were tasked with watching her kids. You even had to leave the homeland behind to come with us. Nunnally and I weren't exactly angels with my gambling habits and her penchant for trouble-making. I was just wondering if-"

"No," Jeremiah cut the prince off before he could finish. "I haven't regretted it nor will I ever. Helping raise the princess and you has been one of the bright spots of my life. It has been a true honor to look after the both of you." Lelouch stared at the face of the man he considered an older brother. He could see the pride etched onto his face from his grin to the shining amber eyes. Lelouch turned his head away setting his bags down for a second. He took a step towards Jeremiah before embracing him quickly.

"Thank you Jeremiah. For everything," the teenager said. The exchange lasted only a moment but that was rare for Lelouch. Jeremiah knew how hard it was for the prince to show attachment to anyone other than his sisters. Made even more prominent by the fact they were in a public setting. Lelouch never deigned himself to show emotion in public.

The prince picked up his bags and headed through the tunnel into his plane. One twelve hour flight later and he would be back in Pendragon. As Lelouch boarded he could've swore he heard "Goodbye Lelouch," from behind him.

* * *

Author Note: Another Arc ended. I intended for Lelouch to go back to Brittania this chapter but found myself in a writing groove so it will have to wait until the next one. For those of you who wondered if CC would be present here is a teaser. CC is getting a massive past change however because of no Geass. I will try to keep her personality consistent with Canon.

Yes, I know that I have had Jeremiah refer to Lelouch without honorifics. That is only when he is a child or in a military situation where training as a common soldier takes precedent.

If you liked it let me know. If you hated it tell me why. I like reading the reviews

Disclaimer: I do not own Code Geass. If I did all of the guys would get Neon signs pointing to the girls that were in love with them. Lelouch has 108 girls chasing after him at school and still can't figure out Kallen, Milly, and CC are in love with him. C'mon man.


	8. Nostalgia

Author Note: Please don't ask about what pairings I'm planning on doing. I don't intend to tell you outside of the story. Half of the fun in romance stories with multiple options is finding out who they are going to be with. I don't want to ruin that for any of you so enjoy the romance as it comes. I want to tease a lot of pairs and quite frankly while I have an idea of whom I want together but nothing is ever absolute until it's published. That being said I don't want to lock in any pairs by revealing who I have chosen to ship. Furthermore could someone please explain to me why 90 percent of fanfic authors will either tell their ships right away or make it blatantly obvious? It seems like a waste of build up if you know they will get together.

Marianne Flash That is a very good question and while I will be expanding upon this in the story I will say VV is dead.

Sacchin You do bring up a great point that I hadn't considered in depth. I will be expanding upon it in this chapter but to me Lelouch is the type of guy that likes to keep more to himself when making decisions.

In regards to the poll thank you for your feedback and I will be taking it down soon, more or less locking in which way I want to go with the story. Thanks for the reviews they seriously are a major reason why I write.

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The plane ride had been comfortable but long and boring. One huge perk of being royalty the private planes. Even as commoner turned royalty Marianne had received her own private jet. Every year when Lelouch returned from Area 11 she would sent her private jet to fetch him. It offered much more room and Lelouch adored the silence it afforded him. No annoying kids would be breaking his concentration from the book he had started reading The Prince.

It had only taken him two hours to finish reading the supposed masterpiece. While it had been riveting he believed it would've taken him much more time to fully contemplate the ideas. With nothing to do for the next few hours he spent some time reliving his old chess matches.

There was another bright side to going home. He would finally be able to get a rematch against Schneizel. Their chess matches counted among one of the things he had most looked forwarded to when he returned to Pendragon. Despite his seventy four wins without a loss in Area 11 Lelouch still hadn't managed to capture a victory from Schneizel.

After all of the years he spent playing chess in Area 11 he hadn't met one opponent equal to his brother. It was a little disappointing that he never referred any of his opponents to his brother but was glad he didn't. Lelouch's reputation would surely take a blow if he had recommended an inadequate opponent. That was the lot of whom he played, all insufficient to provide Lelouch with a challenge.

Most of the nobles were wholly unimaginative as they played. They were like children who couldn't see past immediate gain. A true tactician would sacrifice piece after piece to win the game. Nobles didn't bother with predicting moves instead they were greedy players that tried to gain as much material as possible. It had made it all the sweeter when Lelouch would checkmate his opponent with fewer pieces.

He tinkered around for a few hours trying to recreate a few of the moves Schneizel would use against him. He could never manage to see quite as far ahead as Schneizel. Some of the moves were so inconsequential that they wouldn't mean anything until twenty moves later. It was little wonder why Schneizel had been crowned the world's champion only to secede the title next year because of a scheduling difference. It had shocked the chess world that the reigning champ had resigned without being defeated. When Lelouch saw the reaction of the other competitors he couldn't stand he was laughing so hard. It was just like his brother to pull that kind of stunt.

Halfway through his flight Lelouch had gotten tired of playing chess by himself. There was only so much one could do without an opponent. He would burn a whole in his brain if he kept trying to plan every possibility.

He couldn't believe he was going to do this but he decided to start physical training. Maybe if he did a few exercises it would tire him out and he could sleep for the rest of the trip. As he placed himself on all fours for push-ups he could only imagine his instructor's reactions.

Bismarck and Jeremiah had always taken it upon themselves to make sure his body's fitness didn't fall too far behind his mind. While he would never be an Olympic athlete his trim was not too shabby. He was at least up to the Britannian foot soldier standard. If Bismarck had seen him now exercising on the plane he would be immensely proud. Jeremiah might even cry at the sight, Lelouch chuckled to himself.

By the time he had finished a thin layer of sweat laid across his forehead. Walking over to the bathroom he splashed water into his face. The icy temperature soothed his overheated skin. Grabbing a towel he dried his face before staring into the mirror.

He would be announced into the public limelight soon. Most members of the royalty were announced to the public when they turned sixteen but Marianne had tried to protect the children a little longer so that they may continue to attend Ashford. Lelouch would be able to avoid it for a little while longer when he joined the military but soon his and his sisters' regular citizen days would come to an end.

He stared at himself in the mirror trying to imagine what a prince looked like. His face was an expressionless mask keeping any emotion locked deep down. His long dark locks almost covered his eyes but didn't impede his view. He almost wished he couldn't see his eyes. Lelouch held no love for the deep purple eyes that stared back at him. A constant reminder that the emperor was his father. Out of all of the children to inherit the man's rare eyes Lelouch was the only one 'fortunate' enough to receive them. Guinevere would have killed to have them. More evidence that she was royalty and above everyone else.

As he exited the bathroom the pilot's voice came on the overhead.

"We are beginning our descent towards the city of Pendragon we should land within the hour."

Lelouch questioned why the captain wouldn't just say they were landing without the PA system. He thought it was a bit overkill since he was the only passenger on this flight. He sat back into his seat before pulling out his bags and making sure he had everything. The last thing he needed was to forget something on the plane.

As the plane began to land Lelouch peered out the window. The blue skies of Pendragon were serene as always. The screech of the wheels signaled that they had finally touched down on the runway. Lelouch grabbed one of his backpacks and slung it over his shoulder while holding the other bag by his side. He never liked letting anyone handle his personal belongings. If he only had a bag or two it just seemed pointless to hand it over to a servant. He wasn't an invalid so he could carry his bags himself.

He always packed light with only the bare minimum of essentials. That lesson had been drilled into him the first time he had gone to Ashford academy. His mother went over his supplies quickly and threw out the majority of his belongings. She had told him that a soldier must be able to move at an instant and anything superfluous was history. Taking the motto to heart he adapted by cramming as much as he could into a bag or two.

Lelouch stepped out of the plane to be greeted by the view of his mother and Bismarck. It had been too long since he had seen them. It felt like he was returning from a different world even though his mother hadn't changed a bit. He wondered if she thought her son looked different. He began descending the stairs while Marianne tapped her foot impatient.

"Hello mo-" Lelouch began as his mother enveloped him in a hug. Not in a million years would he say it aloud but Lelouch had missed moments like this. When the warm embrace of his mother would drive away all his worries leaving him in bliss. Marianne was just happy to have her baby boy back. After they parted Marianne eyed him head to toe.

"Haven't you been eating over there? I would've thought with all the training you would have Jeremiah's build by now?" the knight of six chided. Lelouch shook his head in response. It had been months since they had last seen each other and the first thing she did was question his eating habits. Typical Marianne she was a mother before anything else.

The prince was thin but that didn't belie his true power. Lelouch had a deceptive build due to how toned he was under his clothes. It wasn't conspicuous but there was a subtle amount of muscle to him.

"I'm sure Lelouch hasn't been neglecting his physical training in favor of knightmare," Bismarck added. He swung his hand at Lelouch's arm. He meant it to show affection but more times than not Lelouch's arm would be sore for the rest of the day if it connected. Lelouch squatted at the blow went over his head. "You see. If he hadn't been training he wouldn't have been able to dodge that!"

The knight of one didn't remain boisterous for long. Marianne pounced on him delivering a swift kick to his stomach causing Bismarck to fold over himself.

"I don't remember giving you permission to hit my son. You would be wise to remember that Lord Waldstein, unless you would like a fight on your hands." When Bismarck raised himself to his full height he approached Marianne. He readied his fighting stance before wagging his finger at the woman. The challenge wasn't unanswered as Marianne charged at Bismarck starting their sparring session.

No matter how long he was gone some things never changed. He watched the bout between his mother and his mentor. Despite the sizable power advantage Bismarck enjoyed Marianne was too swift for him to land anything other than a glancing blow. They were even in fighting ability until the knight of one left his forward leg exposed when he missed a jab. Marianne took advantage of the opening and sweeped his legs leaving him supine on the ground.

Bismarck smirked and clapped his hand together in acknowledgement of her victory. Marianne wasn't one to lord herself over the defeated and offered Bismarck a hand up. The man accepted the help not content to be a sore loser.

"You fought with more tenacity than usual Six. You leave me in awe once again."

"One let that be a lesson to you then. Never threaten a mother's child," Marianne teased. Her playful expression hinted that she enjoyed the fight as much as the other knight, but her words rung in Lelouch's ears. He knew just how dangerous his mother could be and hesitated when he thought of any situation that would force her to be serious. He was flattered though that in all his years his mother had only become a nightmare for enemies stupid enough to attack her children. He still remembered when she had piloted the Ganymede over to a fellow consort's home after she was guilty of harassing Lelouch and Nunnally.

Lelouch had been watching the match with interest. It wasn't everyday that the empire's two top knights had an unarmed fight. After they had finished the knights turned to see him sitting on his bag his legs folded over each other.

"Now that play time is over I would like to be able to rest in the comfort of my own bed after a long flight," Lelouch asserted. He felt like he was the adult and the other two were teenagers. He couldn't deny that he enjoyed the feeling of maturity compared to the two knights.

He thanked Bismarck for his welcome home and made plans with him to continue his training. He was close to mastering his mother's piloting style but wanted to become more adept with Bismarck's before beginning in the military.

He followed his mother to the limousine sent to pick him up. As they began the drive home they shared stories with Lelouch telling her about his antics at Ashford academy while Marianne told him about how life in the military was going.

"I wish your sister Cornelia could have welcomed you home but she is busy establishing area eighteen. She took command of the forces there as I left. It seems she has nothing left to learn from her old teacher," Marianne sighed. Hearing his mother talk about Cornelia as her protégé was bothersome. He was a little jealous of his sister student and her success. Less than a year ago Cornelia had been appointed as the new chief general of the military.

It wasn't as if she hadn't earned it but it left a bitter taste in his mouth. His mother had helped her become the pride of the Britannian army and had risen in rank accordingly. She now occupied the highest military position and Lelouch would forever be her subordinate for as long as he served. The only way to escape her power would be to become a knight of the round like his mother and Bismarck. That would be unprecedented with no son of the sovereign rising to that rank in the history of Britannia. It was a moot point as he wouldn't be able to swear the vows anyways. The position came with the responsibility to lay down his life in defense of the emperor. The empire, maybe. The emperor himself, no chance. He couldn't see how his mother and Bismarck had pledged loyalty to him considering their character.

"Learned all there is to learn from The Flash? She would have to study a hundred years to parallel your legacy," Lelouch complimented. It was true though. With the possible exception of Bismarck no soldier had written their names in the history books as definitively as Marianne "The Flash". She had been a part of the conquering of over a third of Brittania's areas. She was famed throughout Britannia and feared across the rest of the world. She was the original witch of Britannia before Cornelia had taken up that mantle.

"What of North Africa? From what Jeremiah tells me the tension is thick enough to cut with a knife," Lelouch queried. He had always had an interest in North Africa after hearing about the desert tiger's exploits. In the European Great War he stood head and shoulders above the other commanders. They still used his maneuvers as learning exercises from what Jeremiah had taught him.

"Maybe I should have Jeremiah stop informing you of military matters," Marianne started before catching the resolute look on her son's face. The stubborn boy would look it up anyways it she didn't elaborate. She sighed in defeat and explained the situation. "War is inevitable. Charles wants to get a foothold in Africa and I wouldn't put it past him to have an ambassador go 'missing' like he did with area nine. Eventually the natives will put their fear aside in a moment of courage and retaliate but then they will realize why they were right to be afraid in the first place. Nonette and Luciano will probably be tasked with subjugating the natives."

It didn't shock Lelouch that his father had engineered a war on false pretenses. His father might be a war monger but not a dimwitted one. Even Charles Zi Britannia had to play politics at times. Invading without reason would most likely frighten the other power players on the board. The last thing Britannia needed was every nation to turn against them out of fear of one man's ambition. If the emperor took things slow and conquered with a pretense then all of the other nations would just sit back and watch. They were appeasers in the quintessential form of the word. They would feed the crocodile and it would happily eat them last. They talked military and politics for the rest of the ride home. Marianne was surprised at how much her boy had grown. No longer was he the brilliant kid with a sharp tongue and talent for strategy. He was realizing his potential and becoming the type of man that would be renowned throughout the world. By the time they arrived at the Vila Lelouch was beat.

"Hey mom. I'm feeling a little jetlagged so I'm going to turn in early," Lelouch told his mother.

"That's fine honey. We have an early start tomorrow six a.m. for physical training. We have to see how rusty you are." Lelouch grimaced at the challenge. Marianne was definitely going to push him until he folded tomorrow. Knowing that, he needed as much rest as he could get. Dragging his feet up the stairs he pulled up to his room.

Opening the door he was filled with nostalgia. His room looked exactly like he left it six months ago. The maids had done an excellent job to dust everything without losing track of proper places. Lelouch could be meticulous about where he had things placed. After all if one thing was out of place in chess the whole plan would fall apart.

Lelouch collapsed face first onto his bed, bringing in the spring scent of the sheets. He wanted nothing more than to sink into his bed and let a blissful slumber overtake him but he had one thing left to do. Pulling out his bag he reached for the list of phone numbers he had written out. Punching a few numbers on his home phone it rang out a few times before being answered.

"Hello?" the gruff voice called out.

"Hello Jeremiah, it's Lelouch. I am calling from our home phone," he said to clear why there hadn't been caller id. Every phone in the imperial city was marked as unknown to keep affairs private. The emperor was nothing if not pragmatic.

"Your highness, I'm pleased to learn that you have arrived safely. If you wish to talk to princess Nunnally she is currently at school helping with some student council business. If you would like I could inform her you called or possibly give her a message," the knight offered.

"Thank you Jeremiah but I did not call to talk to Nunnally. I have to speak with you about an important matter," Lelouch said. With him out of the country Nunnally's first line of defense had been stripped from her. Everybody at Ashford had known Lelouch was not one to be trifled with and his sister was the apple of his eye. Anyone who had messed with Nunnally had found themselves in a very bleak predicament at school. There had only been one challenge of Lelouch's sway from another noble girl that thought she was equal with his baby sister because they supposedly held the same rank. Her mistake was harassing the princess around Lelouch's numerous sources. One week later the noble girl had been exposed for having cheated on one of her tests and was forced to clean the classroom after school for a month.

"I'm listening my prince."

"Good. I am probably just being paranoid but I would like you to keep a closer eye on Nunnally and Euphemia for the time being."

"Is there something amiss? Should I be looking for any danger or heartache?"

"I wouldn't put it past my sister's to mope while I'm gone but that doesn't concern me as much. Recently I became friends with a rather free spirited girl, Duke Stadtfeld's daughter in fact. It seems she might have developed feelings for me. I'm not sure if she is completely stable but it wouldn't be too much of an imposition to keep a closer eye on her for awhile. Make sure she doesn't do anything she'll regret," Lelouch finished informing Jeremiah of his false suspicions. It was a harmless white lie that would get results. If Jeremiah knew that there was even a small possibility that a classmate had ties to the Eleven resistance movements the princesses would be withdrawn from school and flying back to the homeland within a day. They wouldn't speak to him for years if they found out he was the reason for it. This way was much more effective. It allowed his sister's to continue to attend Ashford while also adding a new layer of protection for them. Jeremiah would have a tail placed on Kallen and if she wasn't connected herself then Jeremiah would eventually deem her as stable and move on. However if Kallen did associate with terrorists then she was a legitimate threat and he would simply have to deal with the silent treatment his sisters would give him.

"Always the heart breaker master Lelouch," Gottwald chuckled.

"Jeremiah don't get me started especially with all the women you've let down in favor of service. See to my sisters' safety. It is the top priority."

"Of course your highness. I will keep your jilted stalkers away from your family."

"I resent that Gottwald. You act as if I encourage them. But thank you Jeremiah," and with a click Lelouch hung up the phone. Tossing the phone onto his bedside nightstand he placed his head into his pillow. It hadn't been comfortable but in his exhausted state he was asleep before his eyes had closed.

* * *

Suzaku had been practically living in the hangar since they received the knightmare simulators from Kyoto. He hadn't noticed Kallen's approaching him he was so engulfed in the virtual world.

"You already have the high score on that thing so why don't you give it a rest," Kallen complained. He wasn't sure if he could detect a trace of jealousy in her words. She was one of the few people in the JLF that wasn't afraid to speak bluntly around Suzaku though. It didn't help her reputation at all since she was a Britannian half-blood and a noble too.

"I still haven't managed to get a one hundred percent on any of the simulators yet," Suzaku replied renewing his determination. He could be a bit of a perfectionist when it came to martial arts. He considered piloting as an extended form of combat so he would perfect it, if this damn machine would ever give him a one hundred.

"Yes, Suzaku Kururugi, the fames ace of Japan, has scored over ninety seven percent in every combat simulation but does that satisfy him? Nope he has to forsake everything else in his life to spend all of his time with the machine that loves him so much. I don't think it's even possible to attain a one hundred," Kallen teased. He glared at her finishing the simulation with a ninety eight percent score. He hopped out of the simulator and strode over to the red haired freedom fighter.

She was wearing her green camouflage JLF uniform with a red headband to keep her bangs from falling in her face. She wasn't very tall but her curves filled out the uniform nicely. Her blue eyes looked intently at him as if she could pry his thoughts out of his head.

"There's a rumor that the knight of six and one have been able to get a one hundred percent. If that's true then we need to have someone that can go head to head with them." The Britannians were strong nobody could deny that. He wondered what it would be like to fight the infamous Flash. He couldn't help but admire his future adversary for her combat ability. When the JLF first obtained the new knightmares Suzaku had scoured the internet and found a few leaked videos of her battle footage. Seeing the potential in acquiring a dominating fighting technique he tried to integrate it with his own Japanese style of combat. From that moment on he started clearing ninety five percent on the simulator.

"Well with the knight of one back in Britannia I doubt we will have to face him for awhile. It would be more prudent to focus on our first mission. It will begin soon right?" Kallen asked. He could see worry and anxiousness written all over her face. The upcoming mission would be her first combat experience. From simulation experience alone she had already proved herself one of the true Japanese aces ranking slightly above the four holy swords in knightmare control. The only two members that were better with a knightmare than her were himself and their leader colonel Tohdoh. This almost guaranteed her a spot at the front lines in the upcoming assault.

"Depends on your definition of soon. As of right now we have only smuggled half of our burais back from the Chinese federation. It will be at least another six months before we return to optimum fighting strength." Suzaku had disapproved of Tohdoh's decision when he was a child but as he matured saw the logic behind it. When the knight of one had become viceroy of Japan they had barely begun creating their own knightmare frames. Had it continued the JLF would have not been able to hide the iron giants from the Britannians. Tohdoh decided to lay low and smuggle the knightmares out to the Chinese federation instead of using half trained soldiers with unfamiliar weapons to fight the top knight in Britannia. He chose to fight another day as the JLF would continue knightmare production in the Chinese federation.

Bismarck's reign exceeded expectations but he eventually handed command over to Clovis a few years later. With the fearsome knight gone they had begun to retrieve their weapons from across the sea. It was an arduous process but it left time for training new recruits considering Clovis was lax in his vigil of the area unlike his predecessor.

He knew Kallen had been focused on the coming battles when she wrinkled her forehead. Contemplating a battle over a week down the road would only psych a common soldier out. He needed to change the subject to something light hearted.

"How's school going?"

"It's school. You've been with me most of the days, you should know."

"Yeah but I'm around the school not actually in it. Besides I was homeschooled from a young age. I really don't have any idea what a regular school would be like."

"Oh, I'm sorry I didn't know," Kallen apologized. Suzaku raised his hand to show no offense was taken and she continued. "I have top marks in my classes but the student council has been rather quite. I think it's because Lelouch left. The president lost her favorite teasing target."

"Was that the boy that was in the refrain warehouse with us?"

"Yeah that's him. It seemed strange to me that he left for Britannia mid-semester but I've been told he does that every year."

"You missing the dark haired noodle armed boy Kallen?" Suzaku teased. He could see her face turn beat red at the accusation.

"What are you talking about? I wouldn't care if Lelouch fell off the face of the earth and I never saw him again!" she yelled. Kallen had always been proud and stubborn about her feelings. He hoped she was telling the truth though. He had neglected to tell Kallen about his observations of the boy. He had to right that now.

"Well it's a good thing he's gone. Kallen I've been meaning to tell you to stay away from that guy. He might be…trouble for people like us."

"What are you talking about Suzaku? He's gone now and that's the end of it. Who gave you authority over who I am allowed around in my school persona anyways? Don't overstep your bounds Suzaku," she fussed angry at his presumption. Kallen began to storm off before throwing a box at him. He opened it to see rice and chicken. "Here. I knew you wouldn't be coming down to join any of us for dinner so I brought this up for you. I'm going to check in with my squad now. Don't choke on it," Kallen said as she bustled away.

Suzaku wasn't skilled at reading emotions but he knew he upset her. It was probably something he said but with girls he was never sure. He started eating the food, hoping to do one more simulation before calling it a night. Who knows he might even score a hundred.

* * *

Author Note: A little bit of Churchill added in. I changed the annexation date of Area 18. With Marianne still conquering on occasion the Britannian military agenda has moved faster than expected. This lead to the assault on the Middle Eastern Federation sooner.

Just a few chapters away until I get to the battles that start defining Code Geass.

Drop a review if you liked it and if you didn't tell me why anyways


	9. Barracks

Author Note: Wow already a bit of hostility and I haven't even killed anyone off yet. I'm almost afraid to imagine the reviews once people start dying.

The final thing I will say about pairing spoilers. This like most stories will have foreshadowing which you can use to try and guess what will happen. Unless you are the type of person that flips to the back of the book before you read the first page then please don't criticize my decision for leaving the back of the book blank for now (If you are feel free to call me Stalin or anything like that for keeping a few secrets in my own story). If I tell you what ships I'm thinking about doing I might as well give the entire cast plot armor. SPOILER Like if I said Kallen is going to kiss Lelouch in season 2 episode 22 that reveals not only is Lelouch not going to choose a girl before that but also Kallen is going to be a major character up until that point and she won't be killed off in any mess she gets herself into. It would be like Mario with the gold star, invincible.

Lord Edric I haven't really considered putting Nunnally into battles. Even if Nunnally wasn't crippled I still can't seem to picture her as a soldier. It might be because of her peace loving ways but she seems more like a politician to me. I don't think she would have the fortitude to stare someone in the eyes and pull the trigger (yes I know she killed tons of people with the nukes but pushing a button while blind means she doesn't see the faces of the people she's killed or the devastation wrought by her actions).

A special thanks to Lunanite and Kuo for explaining why fan fic pairings are made obvious to the reader.

* * *

The game had been bouncing back and forth. Two master tacticians fighting for control of sixty four areas. Time crawled slowly as both men kept waiting for the other to make a mistake. One opening against the king, one crack in their defenses.

Lelouch sprung his attack first opening an assault against the king for the price of a bishop. The moves were rapid as forces were being exchanged at a ridiculous rate. By the end of the exchange Schneizel's defense had held. It was fortunate enough that Lelouch had trapped the white prince's king in a threefold repetition. Without any way to defend his king Schneizel offered his hand for a draw. Lelouch took it smirking at his slightly improved record.

"You didn't let me force a stalemate as a late birthday present did you?

"You wound me brother. Do you really think I would lay down for anyone?" Schneizel pointed out. It was true though. Schneizel was competitive with anything he put his mind to. If the second prince had decided to try something nothing less than his best would suffice.

"I suppose not. This will have to do for our last match of the year."

"An adequate game to close out the year. Now our games are turning in a different direction. Yours down the path of a soldier and mine back to the EU negotiations. With hostilities mounting in North Africa war with might come quicker than expected."

"And that will affect negotiations?"

"Of course. Everything has an impact in the realm of politics, whether it's a war or a snub it will always change something. It seems there is still much you need to learn about politics," Schneizel sighed. Lelouch had been fishing for information but it seemed Schneizel didn't want to expose his intentions.

"I apologize prime minister but I will not join the political game for quite some time. You will have to amuse yourself with an adversary like Odysseus for now. I will content myself with defending the empire against enemies that would seek to harm her. Take care Schneizel," the black haired prince said as he left the room.

It didn't surprise Schneizel that Lelouch would be taking the military path. His mother was a military legend and with supplementary training from Bismarck the boy would be a nightmare to those unlucky enough to call him foe.

That wasn't even mentioning his mind. Lelouch had proved himself a person that could keep up with Schneizel intellectually. Adding that into his combat prowess and Britannia might have a weapon the likes the world has never known.

It was a shame he didn't choose politics. Lelouch had a silver tongue that could rival his own a trait that many of the imperial family shared. Schneizel was sure with his young brother's charm and brains he would've been made the youngest viceroy in history. A dark thought loomed in the back of Schneizel's mind.

Having Lelouch in politics would've also afforded more eyes on the young prince. The older Lelouch became the less the prime minister could dismiss the rising threat. In the game of thrones only one of the royal children would become the next emperor or empress. While Schneizel might be the second prince he was in an obvious lead for succession. If Lelouch rose to prominence it would be one more piece to keep track of. Unlike Odysseus, Lelouch posed an alarming amount of danger. It wouldn't only be Cornelia and himself in the running for long. If it came down to it Schneizel would eliminate his favorite brother. The prime minister wouldn't let anyone or anything stand in the way of his rise as emperor. He wouldn't let the people down.

* * *

The drive out of Pendragon had been long. Lelouch had arrived at the training facility at nine a.m. which meant he was already late. If this had been a regular day then Lelouch would probably be getting chewed out by his instructor. This was anything but a normal day.

Once Marianne had consented to her son volunteering to the military she had immediately begun scheming with Bismarck. She had tried to have him begin with officer training but Lelouch rejected the notion. They compromised instead with Lelouch would skip basic training and attend the KMF training corps provided he could pass all of the basic requirements. With the hellish training he received from his mother, Bismarck, and Jeremiah there would be nothing the instructors could throw at him that would hinder his promotion.

Lelouch had arrived as the newest members were in the process of graduating into the KMC. Not wanting to spoil their moment in the spotlight with his appearance he ducked into the registration office.

The building had been devoid of people with the exception of an older recruit who was staring at his computer. Lelouch walked up to the man before clearing his throat to get his attention.

"The next basic training doesn't start until tomorrow. Go home and enjoy your last day of freedom," the man said not deigning to look up from his computer. Lelouch wondered how such an impersonal man could have gotten a job as a secretary for registration.

"I'm a special case. There should be something about an irregular test that needs to be taken." The secretary looked up with clear annoyance on his face.

"Name," he grumbled.

"Lelouch vi Britannia." The man had typed in a few keys before the impact of the name hit him. His eyes combed over every detail of the prince as he realized who he ignored. He sank down to a knee before speaking again.

"I'm sorry your highness. I did not recognize you and no one told me that you would be coming today." The man sounded desperate but he was probably just scared. Being in the army meant soldiers had to deal with annoying nobleman who wanted to play at soldier. It was obvious to Lelouch that this poor man had learned the hard way the nobility were to be respected. He would not let his predecessors ruin the idea of the nobility actually being noble.

"No it's quite alright. I haven't even made my public debut so don't hold yourself accountable for not knowing my face. You may stand and please treat me like you would any other soldier," the prince said offering his hand to the man. He accepted it before returning to his desk. Stroking a few keys he looked at the screen in disbelief.

"My lord your name is scheduled for all the physical test final examinations. This can't be right if you are going into the officer training. Hold on a minute I'll contact-"

"No need to contact anyone," Lelouch cut the man off. "I am not applying for officer training. I am actually slated to join the knightmare frame training corps tomorrow. As such like any other soldier I have to prove that I'm physically capable to be admitted."

The man looked at Lelouch like he was deranged. Few members of nobility would go through basic training examinations but it was unheard of for royalty. Even Cornelia had skipped straight into officer school and had a private instructor for knightmare training. It was one of the reasons Marianne was so popular with the commoners. She had gone through everything with them and excelled at anything she tried. Lelouch was determined to earn respect the same way his mother had.

"Yes your highness. I'll contact one of our instructors for you," the man said as he grabbed his phone. After a brief conversation one of the instructors appeared. The drill sergeant was in his forties and in traditional green fatigues.

"So you're the noble that wants to skip basic training. Don't look like much. I think I'm going to enjoy watching you fail. You should have headed to officer training school like all the other no talent nobles that want to buy ranking!" the man yelled into Lelouch's face. He just stared at him with an apathetic look. "Follow me maggot," the instructor said leading Lelouch out.

The prince followed him out into an empty field.

"Assume push up position. We'll see what those scrawny muscles can do." Lelouch glared at the man before he got down on all four. He didn't find the drill sergeants act necessary. This would most likely be the only day the two met. The man was trying to break him in a day. Lelouch figured the man probably held a vendetta against nobles, possibly passed up on a promotion because of one.

As the instructor counted out push-ups Lelouch followed touching his chest to the ground. His chest and arms started to burn around fifty but he kept pushing on. He wasn't going to let the drill sergeant mock him for doing the minimum requirement to pass. As Lelouch passed seventy five he decided that was a good stopping point and lay on his stomach before rolling over to get ready for crunches.

The sergeant was a blank slate as he eyed Lelouch. He was either impressed or furious. Lelouch began the crunches calling out the numbers so he wouldn't lose track. The crunches were easy enough and Lelouch was able to clear triple digits before his body gave up on him. Now he would rest for a few moments before starting his two mile run.

"What do you think you're doing vi Britannia?"

"Catching my breath sir,"

"You think they let you catch your breath in war?! Your ass would be riddled with bullet holes right now. Up and at em the start line isn't going to come to you just because you're royalty," the sergeant chastised as he walked toward the starting line. Lelouch was reluctant to jog behind him so he adopted a comfortable fast walk to try and take a breather. "You have fifteen minutes to do two full laps around this field or you fail."

The drill man looked entirely too pleased. His disposition solved Lelouch's question. He was furious and wanted Lelouch to fail. Lelouch was not about to give that man the satisfaction of seeing him struggle. He slipped his hands into his pockets before letting out a sigh and started an easy paced march around the field.

His first mile was rough. His feet felt like lead blocks as he pulled them past the start point and continued onto his second lap.

As he approached the finish of the second lap the strain was overtaking Lelouch. He was huffing and regretting not doing more cardio training before the exam. He had slacked off and this was his just punishment.

Lelouch crossed the finish line and doubled over himself trying to catch his breath. He stuffed his hands in his pockets as he drew himself up to his full height trying to control his breathing. After a moment it steadied and Lelouch walked over to the smiling instructor.

"That was pathetic soldier. If you were any closer to the goal time you would've been standing on it. Maybe if you had cut that mop you call hair you would have finished three seconds sooner and passed the test," the sergeant gloated.

Lelouch looked at the man dumbstruck. There was no conceivable way he had failed the basic physical fitness test. He might not have run in a few weeks but Lelouch had ran enough to know his pace.

"Sergeant are you sure I've failed?" Lelouch questioned as he reached into his pocket. He pulled out a small black stopwatch for the sergeant to see. "According to this not only did I pass but I did with a minute to spare. I'm sure your watch is simply malfunctioning."

The drill sergeant shot Lelouch a look of absolute loathing as the words dawned on him. He obviously hadn't expected the prince to time himself and was going to give him an easy failure. The prince was smirking as the drill sergeant stared into space. Whether the man wanted to admit it or not the teen had beaten him. If he continued to say the prince failed there would be repercussions. He might be able to make Lelouch go through the test again or even basic training but the cost would be high. The chief general recently appointed was one of the royal children. If the brat decided to tattle to his older sister about this incident she could make his life hell. He wouldn't put it past her to put him on the front lines. There was only one option the drill sergeant could make.

"I forgot this thing was a minute fast. Congratulations vi Britannia you passed," the instructor managed to grind out with a locked jaw. Lelouch said a quick thank you before leaving towards the registration building. Gloating over the defeated sergeant would leave a bitter taste in his mouth. The man might have tried to fail him but Lelouch didn't want to burn any bridges while he was starting KMF training. It was possible that the physical training instructor knew all of the KMF instructors. Lelouch didn't want others to have an opinion on him before he even met them.

As Lelouch walked through the door he approached the secretary again.

"I passed the tests. Is there anything else I need to do before I begin my KMF training?"

"Yes just wait a moment. I have to verify that you passed," the soldier said as he pulled out his phone and made a call. After a brief conversation he turned his attention back to Lelouch. "The instructor informed me that you passed all of your requirements so I'm going to input the results into your file. Finished, now I'm entering you into KMF training corps. Training will begin at six a.m tomorrow morning. Report to Barracks K for your sleeping quarters."

As the man gave him directions Lelouch thanked him before setting off to find his barracks. The search hadn't taken long before he arrived before his building. He opened the door to see thirty beds or so with a locker next to each of them. There was only one other person in the room a teenager with white hair lounging on his bed. Lelouch looked through the beds to find his name on the bed next to the teen. He pulled out his bag with the few items that had not been confiscated and unloaded them into his locker neatly. The boy stirred at the noise and jumped up behind Lelouch.

"I thought I was going to be the only one in here for awhile," the boy said lightheartedly.

Lelouch turned his head slightly annoyed to see his new bunkmate. The boy was about his height and build but with platinum blonde hair and blue eyes. Lelouch finished organizing his things before rising to the boy.

"You weren't too far off. I expected to be one of the last ones here."

"I'm guessing about half of the guys in our unit are graduating today. They'll probably be out drinking tonight. They're going to be in for a rude awakening tomorrow morning," the boy laughed. He seemed a little bit older than Lelouch but not past nineteen.

"You speak from experience?" Lelouch asked.

"You could say that. I graduated from basic training a year ago and was a foot soldier this past year. I was lucky they didn't ship me off right after basic because with that hangover I was out for a solid twelve hours."

"How old do you think the other cadets are going to be?"

"If I had to take a guess anywhere between eighteen and twenty-seven. I don't think they let anyone older than that train for the knightmare corps anymore. I'm pretty sure you and me are going to be the babies of the group. You're eighteen right?"

"Seventeen actually."

"You're a year younger than me! Wow you must be some kind of whiz kid then. Oh yeah tip for the future if you're wearing your Britannia military uniform no bars will card you. They think they're being patriotic or something. It makes sense though. If you are old enough to risk your life for the country then you're old enough to buy a drink," the white haired boy said slapping Lelouch on the shoulder. Lelouch smiled at the sense of camaraderie. He wasn't sure if the boy was stupid or just overly friendly but no one other than his friends from Ashford had ever messed with him like that. This friendship would probably end the moment the teen found out his name.

"By the way I didn't catch your name," the teen said. Lelouch felt a surge of resignation flow through his body.

"I'm Lelouch," he said extending his hand. The boy accepted his hand in a firm grip before introducing himself.

"Nice to meet you Lelouch I'm Rai."

* * *

Author Note: Finally finished. Sorry for the late update this chapter was a chore. It doesn't help when your laptop crashes and a ten page paper is due but that's life forgive me and I promise to make the next chapter a bit longer.

Disclaimer: I do not own Code Geass. If I did I would have Rai make a cameo in the second season seducing the pants off of everybody. Seriously would it have been that hard to have one guy that isn't sexually inept?


	10. At least with dignity

Lelouch was awoken by a blaring bugle as the sun rose. Wiping the crud from his eyes he looked over to see Rai out of bed and dressing himself. A quick surveillance around the room showed most of the other cadets doing the same. Lelouch had to coax his tired body out of bed before going to his locker and putting on his new uniform. Roughly three quarters of the men had changed before a grizzled man entered the barracks.

The wrinkles and disdain betrayed the man's position. It was obvious this was their new drill instructor.

"Attention!"

All of the men snapped into form even the ones not fully dressed. Lelouch mimicked the others.

"What the hell is this? I didn't know that a quarter of you were trying to be underwear models. If you want to show off your banana hammocks then drop out and apply to Abercrombie and Fitch. If you want to be a Britannian knight then you best get your ass in gear and be ready within five minutes of hearing that damn bugle! And you lot are supposed to be the best candidates, Bullshit. In a week I could train a retarded monkey to shoot better than all of you and that is if he is consistently throwing poop with his free hand, otherwise it would take one day," the man berated. He began walking past the men eyeing them like a vulture before speaking again.

"My name is Drill Sergeant Andover. You will only address me as Sir or I will have your hides mounted on my wall as trophies after I PT you to death. I have the unfortunate task of trying to train you walking piles of feces on how to pilot a knightmare. However I know that a few of you aren't slack jawed Neanderthals like your compatriots here. That is why from today on you will be referred to as your code name and only your code name. They are inscribed at the bottom of your locker. Memorize this code name because while you are here that is your name, not the one your whore of a mother gave you as she screamed giving birth to your sorry asses. If you don't like your new name tough titties. If you don't answer to your new name then I will have you running laps until your testicles drag against the ground. The lower your number is the closer you are to human. Anyone over two is going to have to fight each other for the title of missing link," the drill sergeant declared.

Lelouch felt an urge to check the number in his locker but kept it in check. His training as a prince to mask his intentions and emotions paid off as he noticed no one made a move to check their rank. The drill sergeant was probably waiting for anyone to make a move so he could lay into someone. When no one did he went from locker to locker telling everyone their codenames and generally saying horrible things about them. Some of it was actually kind of funny in an objective way but any cadet who laughed was accosted immediately after. Andover was almost done with his rounds as he stopped at Rai. Lelouch composed himself knowing he would be next.

"Holy shit we have a neo nazi here. You get kicked out of Germany and thought you could make it in Britannia?" the man demanded. Rai stood silent not realizing it wasn't a rhetorical question. "Hey numb nuts I'm talking to you!"

"No sir!" Rai yelled. It was too little too late.

"No I'm not talking to you? Are you fucking with me boy or did your mommy drop you on your head a few dozen times! What is your name?"

"I don't know sir!"

"Are you retarded? You don't know your own name. How the hell did you get through life? I retract my earlier statement. There is no way you mom dropped you on accident. She probably threw you headfirst into a wall," Andover screamed as he walked over to Rai's locker. He reached down before pulling out a number.

"Holy shit White-ONE. A shit for brains like you is a squad captain. Your squad better pray to whatever deities they hold dear because I'd rather trust Hellen Keller to lead them then you," the man yelled as he walked over to Lelouch.

Lelouch kept a neutral expression as Andover examined him.

"You're in the wrong camp. The ladies don't train with the men."

"I'm not a lady sir." Lelouch answered coldly. He might have been thin but he lacked all of the necessary attributes to be confused for a woman. The sergeant decided to become an actor and made a shocked expression.

"Holy shit. It's a guy. Why the hell haven't you gotten your hair cut soldier? You look like G.I. Jane. Don't tell me pretty boy didn't want to get his head shaved." Lelouch gave no answer. He wondered if the drill instructor knew who he was. If Andover did he gave no intention of backing down.

"Do you have a cock between your legs?"

"Yes sir."

"Then the only reason to have your hair that long is if you suck dicks. Do you suck dicks?"

"No sir."

"Then you better go take your girly ass over to get your hair cut before one of the boys here mistakes you for a woman and tries to show you their one eyed snake. From your look you might enjoy that," as Lelouch made a move to leave the drill sergeant stopped him.

"Not right now Nancy. What the hell is your name?" he said walking over to the locker. "This makes sense White-FIVE. You're barely above a gorilla. Scratch that I would rather have a gorilla to train. At least a gorilla would have some muscle to it."

White-Five. That had to be a mistake. Lelouch had never been ranked at the bottom of anything. As a prince it was expected of him to excel. He had to find the cause of his low ranking.

"How do the ranking systems work?" Lelouch asked. He knew it was a mistake before the words left his lips but couldn't stop himself. Even if he was targeted he had to know why he was considered inferior. His pride wouldn't accept anything less.

"Are you questioning your commanders cadet? Do I look like your high school teachers boy? I will not baby you through this just because you look like a flower. You will stand on your own merits and move up according to that. Now get the hell out of my face White-Five before I decide to rearrange it to the displeasure of the boys here."

He wasn't sure if Andover meant to answer his question but he did. It was the basics instructor that had recommended Lelouch for a low ranking. He might not have stopped Lelouch from joining the KMF training core but he got his revenge.

Lelouch didn't wait for Andover to call him back as he headed towards the door. It was obvious that he would be treated just like everyone else here and would have to earn his stripes. He might not like the process but knew it was necessary.

Too many nobles went into the military for prestige and were unfit to command. To inspire loyalty from common soldiers he would be perfect through training. He would earn his future soldier's respect through diligence and hard work. He focused on that thought as a man shaved his dark locks off.

* * *

It had been a few weeks since training had started. Lelouch often woke up early musing in his bed before the horn would sound.

Training had been intense. Lelouch had assumed that the KMF training core would be trained more with knightmares than anything else. He didn't expect to have physical training for over three hours a day. It was all worth it though when he finally got behind the controls of a knightmare.

It had been the philosophy of the KMF training core that training shouldn't only be in simulators. As such after the first week in the simulators the cadets were allowed to step into the cockpit of a true knightmare.

The results had been disastrous for almost everyone in his training class according to Andover. Most of them could control a knightmare with a decent degree of success but lacked the precision needed to become a great pilot. It normally took years of experience to become proficient.

Lelouch was head and shoulders above the others. His practice had paid off and he was one of two pilots who didn't get laid into by Sergeant Andover. The other was Rai.

Lelouch didn't know what to expect when he found out that his new friend was his squad captain. He had liked Rai's friendly, if a little excitable, attitude but for him to be in charge of the prince, Lelouch just couldn't picture it. It was hard for the prince to bow to Andover's authority he couldn't really imagine having to take orders from Rai. He knew he would have to adjust to that. It was the lot of a soldier. No matter what rank he rose to he would always be subordinate to someone, even if it was only the emperor himself. He would have to humble his pride a bit but he would become a great soldier. Then after he proved he could follow he would get to lead.

As the alarm blared Lelouch rose from bed and dressed himself. They went through minor PT drills before going before the simulators.

"Red squad form up!" the drill sergeant snapped and five of the soldiers lined up. He motioned for the soldiers to follow him back which they did willingly. After five minutes of uncomfortable silence between the cadets Andover returned.

"Blue Squad line up!" All the men followed Andover back just like the previous squad. Lelouch was disappointed with the lack of explanation. He didn't like being kept in the dark about anything. He scooted over to Rai and noticed a blank look on his face.

"Hey Rai what do you think is going on?" Lelouch asked. He figured with Rai's military background he might have heard something about this.

"I don't know. Maybe he's doing surprise body cavity searches."

"I wouldn't doubt it. It seems like he can't get genitals off his mind, he seems as straight as a circle," Lelouch joked. The sergeant talked too much about Lelouch's pretty boy looks to not be suspect.

Rai suppressed a laugh as Andover returned and called green squad. This pattern continued until white squad was the only squad left.

"Why isn't anyone coming back?" White-Three whispered. Lelouch had wondered that same question himself. He wouldn't have brought it up in fear of hurting moral. With a glance he could see a daunted look appearing on his squad mates face. Only Rai looked unfazed and ready for a challenge.

Andover returned a short while later. He motioned his hand for White Squad to follow. Rai took the initiative and walked over first with Lelouch reluctantly pulling up the rear. The sergeant didn't say anything as he lead them to the simulators. He would normally be slinging abuse at them every chance he got but not now. Now he had an assassin's silence. It felt like he was leading them into a trap where they would never be heard from again.

They stopped in front of the simulators before Andover spoke.

"Hop in the simulators and prepare them. Your mission objectives will be shown on screen." After those short instructions he disappeared. It was strange but Lelouch couldn't let it distract him. He and Rai would have to be on their best game if they needed to support their obviously shaken allies.

Lelouch started the machine, watching as the screens flicked to life. He established his sutherland's health diagnostics before securing communication lines with his squad.

"Can everybody hear me?" Rai asked into the speaker.

"Yes sir," the men chorused together with the exception of Lelouch.

"What's the objective One?" Lelouch asked eyeing his surroundings. They were in the urban wasteland simulation. Decrepit buildings were scattered across the landscape and would be useful for cover. Despite the strategic advantages Lelouch didn't like the setting for a simple reason. When Lelouch had trained with Jeremiah urban wasteland only meant one thing. A bloody impossible mission.

"Hold point Echo until reinforcements arrive. It is three clicks to the west. Enemy numbers are unknown so it's best to assume were outnumbered. Take Delta formation and follow me" Rai ordered. The machines moved into a V formation as they marched towards Echo point.

Lelouch followed his squad as they arrived at a park surrounded by large buildings. Lelouch noticed the tactical advantages of the location immediately. Not only was it easily defensible but it also was the central hub of the city. The quickest way across the city would run through it.

"Alright Lelouch I want you to climb the tallest building in the area and look for the enemy. Radio down once you spot them. Everyone else fortify your positions and be prepared for the worst."

Lelouch did as commanded and searched for an adequate building to be a lookout. The closest one was just outside of Echo. It didn't pose a problem with how strong the radio in the knightmares were so he shot his slash harkens into the top of the building. Retracting the wire back into the machine caused the knightmare to be pulled up. Lelouch put the landspinners on the side of the building to help it balance. The iron giant rose slowly but encountered no resistance as it reached the top.

Lelouch steadied his knightmare before doing a quick scan of the area. With the better vantage point Lelouch could see much farther than his allies on the ground. What he saw made him slam his hand against the simulator's interior. He was careful not to hit any controls.

"White-Five what is it?"

"We're in for one hell of a battle white leader. We have 3 fully manned squads partially surrounding us. We have an escape route at your twelve o'clock but we'd be abandoning the mission."

"Unit number and types?"

"They have three eight man teams for a total of twenty four and they're all piloting Sutherlands." You could tell from the silence that it shocked Rai. The information would be shocking to anyone. Out of all the mobile suits in production the knightmares were the most advanced. The Chinese and EU had their cheap knockoffs but they couldn't go one to one with the Britannians. To have to fight their own machines was intimidating especially when the enemy had the best mass production model the Britannians had.

Lelouch didn't envy Rai's predicament. It was either spend the lives of his men for the slim chance at victory or retreat and fail the objective. It was one hell of a test and there was no doubt Andover would be critiquing every detail of Rai's command from success of the mission to hesitation between orders.

"What streets are they coming from?"

"First, Third, and Fifth. I marked them on the screens along with the speed they're currently taking. They should be here in five minutes."

"What are your orders sir?" one of the other men pleaded. You could sense the fear in his voice. Lelouch couldn't blame him. Nobody wanted to fail their first test and it would take a miracle for them to win, even then it would come with heavy losses. With Andover's earlier stoicism it could be entirely possible that the test was of the upmost importance.

Rai was quick to command after hearing the question. "Five what street do you have the clearest aim at?"

"Three."

"Ok I want you to pick off as many units as you can from the squad on Third. Whites Two and Three I want you to cover behind the buildings near Fifth and destroy anything coming straight on. Four and Myself will cover First street. Five after firing I want you to do attack strategy Romeo."

Great Lelouch thought to himself. He had been in bad situations but with this order felt as if he was facing Jeremiah again. "At least I'll get to show off my skills" he mumbled to himself low enough so no one could hear him.

Lelouch grabbed the sniper rifle attached to his back s. He looked through the zoom and lined the cross hairs at the cockpit of the lead unit. He hoped it was the commander. Pulling the trigger a crack rang out as if the sky was being torn. Lelouch adjusted his sights on a new target. He needed to work quick if he was to take out enough units to make this a fair fight. Pulling the trigger again a second shot rang out as the first one reached its target.

The lead knightmare fell backward with the bullet's impact. He had taken careful aim at the connection between the sakuradite core and the cockpit. As the bullet found a home Lelouch smiled at his accuracy. The knightmare exploded as it hit the ground damaging the three front units near it.

As the back unit started reacting to the destruction the second bullet hit the furthest knightmare. The aim was a little off and while it did strike the cockpit it missed the sakuradite core simply killing the pilot and destroying the knightmare.

Lelouch was able to readjust his aim at the downed knightmares from the explosion and destroyed two of the with cockpit shots. It left four units that were now hiding wary of an enemy sniper.

Lelouch wouldn't be able to get another good look from his current position so he jumped from rooftop to rooftop using his slash harkens when necessary. A glance at his monitors showed his unit was not faring well. Unit four had already been forced to eject with no damage while the other three were barely managing to slow the enemy march with suppressive fire. If Lelouch couldn't get over there to help them they would be overrun in less than ten minutes.

As Lelouch drew near the enemies they noticed his presence on the roofs and opened fire. Lelouch had no choice but to keep moving and hope he didn't get hit. He managed to reach a building above the four units with an insane amount of luck. He put his plan into action by using his slash harkens into the building sending a small amount of debris towards his enemies. As they lurched forward for better cover they walked right into his trap. They noticed all too late how confined the new space was as Lelouch threw a chaos mine into the air. With nowhere to go the four knightmares were shredded by the grenade.

Lelouch watched the devastation before he lowered his knightmare back to ground level. He would move faster on the ground with his landspinners.

A quick check of his monitors showed his team still held Echo but were now down two units with the lost signal coming up for White Two. Lelouch cursed as he set his route.

"This is White-Five Third street has been cleared. I'm heading over to your position now."

When Rai didn't respond Lelouch took it as a sign of how much trouble they were in. He quickly revved his knightmare into full speed as he charged towards First street.

He came upon six knightmares moving from cover to cover almost on top of Echo. Lelouch aimed his sights and became trigger happy as he fired at the enemy units. The pincer attack was devastating as two knightmares fell. Their formation crumbled as the four knightmares turned to fire at Lelouch. The only chance for victory now was for Lelouch to distract the units long enough for White One and Three to take out the remaining units.

Lelouch's distraction had come at a severe price of using all of the ammo in his rifle. The enemy didn't need to know that though. He pulled his knightmare behind a building as the bullets past where he used to be. The enemy knew they were trapped as a move on either side would expose them to a flank attack.

"White Three how many units do you have advancing?" Rai asked

"Six sir." Lelouch was grimaced at the answer. That left ten knightmares to deal with against three. They were bad odds even if Lelouch had ammo which he had been foolish to waste. They were beat and Lelouch knew it.

"White-One the operation is a failure we need to retreat," Lelouch told his commander. White Squad had held Echo for a sufficient amount of time given the circumstances. They could only hope that Andover wouldn't grade them down to harshly. Lelouch chuckled at the impossibility of the thought.

"Reinforcements might show up still!" Rai responded. It was obvious he didn't want to lose his first real battle simulation. Lelouch might have acted the same way.

"They'll have nothing to reinforce if we don't fall back. If we stay we'll be destroyed. I'm already out of ammo and only have a pistol and stun tonfas left. I'm guessing you two are low on rounds as well. What are we going to shoot them with when they run out? Angry Looks," Lelouch yelled his anger flashing into his voice. Rai knew the right decision but seemed like he didn't want to make it.

"You know what it means if we retreat?"

"Yes sir," Lelouch answered. If they retreated then Lelouch would be stuck behind ten hostiles with no ammo. It was like chess, sometimes you had to make a necessary sacrifice to play a few more turns.

"White Three were withdrawing to point Beta. Five, best of luck."

The friendly units on Lelouch's monitor pulled back at the hostiles kept closing on Echo this time uninhibited. White Squad had managed to escape total annihilation but Lelouch was still pinned behind a building. As five of the machines started to approach Lelouch he racked his brain for possible outs.

The only solution he came up with required either a lot of dynamite or a chaos mine which he had already used his only one. His knightmare energy filler was already below thirty percent which made escape a slim chance. Ejecting would just result in him being captured with an undamaged knightmare for the enemy as spoils of war. There was only one sensible option left.

"It seems they have me in check." Lelouch laughed as the knightmares stood before his building. He jerked his knightmare from behind the corner and fired his slash harkens into the nearest one. "This assault may succeed but they'll find the king is not so easy to take!" The hit caused the pilot to eject while the others opened fire. Lelouch was able to defend his cockpit with the knightmares tonfas and arms. As the bullets shredded them he was able to reload his harkens.

Lelouch launched his two harkens into different targets this time and was able to eject one and destroy the leg of another. It was all he had time for as the final two units riddled his cockpit with bullets. The screen went blank instantly. Lelouch figured it meant his unit had been destroyed.

As he got out of the simulator he saw Rai and his other squad mates in front of Andover.

"Now that all of you are here I can inform you of the purpose of this test. This was a character test to see how you would behave in a hopeless combat situation. All of the instructors watched your battle and listened to you chatter. Your performances will be put under heavy scrutiny. I suggest you all think hard on whether you truly are knight material. Dismissed," Andover finished as he walked away. The five men stood there stoic for a moment before heading back to the barracks.

They arrived to see all of the other squads discussing the simulation. Rai and the others walked over and began talking. Lelouch wanted to go over and talk with his teammates but couldn't bring himself to do it. He felt bitter over the loss and couldn't help but think of ways they could've tried to win. If he was in charge he could've turned that into a victory. He wouldn't be good for conversation so he just rolled into bed and went to sleep hoping the results weren't too bad.

* * *

Author Note: Sorry for the long wait finals have been coming up and I couldn't spare time to write. I don't know why but I just couldn't get into a writing groove with this one and I feel this is a very underwhelming chapter. I guess I can't always be on my game. I originally had Lelouch winning this but couldn't justify it. He might be able to take out more knightmares on his own in an endless battle but he was also going only one squad at a time without having to defend a certain area. I hope you enjoyed the update R & R please :)

Disclaimer: I do not own Code Geass. If I did I would've had Mobile Suit Gundam in the background of an episode to pay tribute to Char.


	11. Boy's Night Out

Author Note: No questions in the reviews so I would just like to say thank you to the one hundred people now following this story :)  
There is a brief time skip to the end of Lelouch training.

* * *

"The final group was the white squad. I have to say for a mission no one has passed they made a gallant effort."

"They fell like every other team though. Although they did manage to avoid complete destruction unlike the other squads that chose to fight."

"I wasn't impressed with their commander. His positioning of his troops was logical but nowhere near the tactics needed to win once he was informed of the enemy numbers. He should have tried to plant a trap before the hostiles converged on his location."

"What do you expect. The boy is only eighteen years old and has already made it into the knightmare core. He isn't mature enough yet to handle a command but his piloting skills are nothing to scoff at. He was able to use his troops in the most effective way."

"That is true. None of the streets were overrun before they signaled for a retreat."

"I wouldn't count that as the commander's victory."

"Please, you are enamored with that boy all because of his lineage. You do know we have to treat him just like anyone else despite who his mother is."

"Yes Yes I know but you have to admit for a seventeen year old to show that much promise is astounding. In the simulation not only was he able to defeat a double digit amount of knightmares set on standard difficulty but he also did it on his own with no back up and limited ammo."

"That's not even mentioning how he knew when to fold his positioning and fall back. If he hadn't said a word all three of them might have fallen instead of just himself."

"There's a problem right there. He started not only questioning orders but giving them. The boy is too brash and undisciplined. A soldier must be able to follow orders to the letter even if he disagrees with them. They don't go around ordering their commanding officers what to do, even if the soldier is a prince."

"You can't possibly be thinking he is a washout. Despite the fact that he spoke out of turn he does show leadership potential and a strategic mind for tactics. If Lady Marianne were to hear that her son failed under her tutelage there would be hell to pay. She said to be fiercer in defense of her children than on the battlefield."

A shutter went through the room.

"Even the emperor doesn't challenge The Flash in matters of her children. Besides, the boy has shown that he willingly take orders. He never spoke up to you about your curt way of addressing him Andover."

"So we are in agreement for the graduates then?"

"I believe so. We have fifty-five percent of the cadets graduating."

"There hasn't been a success rate that high for quite some time. We might be getting mellow in our old age."

"Speak for yourself."

* * *

Lelouch had just finished the final examinations for the cadets as he climbed into his bed at the barracks. He had been the first of his training platoon to finish. It bothered Lelouch that he finished first thinking that he could've done a better job on some of the tasks but tossed the notion aside. He completed the trials with precision if a little hasty.

He recognized the anxious feeling in his gut and squashed it down. Questioning his moves after they were made was futile if he couldn't improve them later.  
As time passed Lelouch laid on his bed pondering what the graduation ceremony would be like. He had a hard time imagining any of his family there. It would have been entirely possible with the recent amount of contact he had with his family. Lelouch hadn't been allowed to have any communication with the outside world since beginning boot camp. He wondered if anyone he knew would show up for him. His mother might come despite the commotion it would cause. Anytime a knight of the round attended any public event they would become an immediate center of attention. It meant the Bismarck would definitely not show. He didn't like the limelight anyways and at a military base he would only get showered with attention.

More than anything he wanted to see his sisters. He knew they would be in school and under Jeremiah's strict supervision but he couldn't help but wish. His sisters had always been the ones that knew him best with the possible exception of his mother. When he had first started spending semesters away from them he felt paranoid that something terrible would happen to them without him. Lelouch chuckled as he remembered how he called Jeremiah at least once a day haranguing the man about who Nunnally had been hanging around or how Euphy had been doing in her classes. He asked about anything his sisters might not have been totally forthcoming with.

To ease the young prince's mind Jeremiah had always told Lelouch exactly what an overprotective brother needed to hear. He had said anything from Euphy was tutoring the others in her class to Nunnally spurns the company of any boy and patiently waits for her brother to return. Even if Jeremiah was just humoring Lelouch he did appreciate the gesture. Though separation from them was rough it became easier over time as Lelouch grew more acclimated to the idea. He still called his mother and sisters once a week at minimum but Lelouch wasn't as hopelessly attached to them like when he was younger.  
Lelouch was stirred from his reminiscence when Rai entered the room. The elder boy made a line for Lelouch's bed. He casually plopped himself on the bed looking at Lelouch with a devilish grin.

"Hey Lelouch change your shirt. We have plans tonight," Rai said. Lelouch looked at him through the corner of his eye. The squad commander was definitely gauging his look to see if he could goad the younger boy into coming out. Lelouch wasn't about to yield.

"No we don't. It's the last day of training and you want to sneak out? Sorry but you can count me out. I'm not about to jeopardize my work here," Lelouch spat back. With only one day left it would be a stupid risk for them to leave. Lelouch didn't know what type of trouble came from sneaking off of the barracks but he was sure he didn't want to find out.

Lelouch stared at his commander not expecting his reaction. Rai was smiling. It was an eerie smile as if the older boy hadn't heard him.

"Fine fine. I didn't expect you to want to come anyways." Rai sighed before hanging his head down. Lelouch would fall for the provocation, determined to ignore Rai.

Lelouch heard a whistle causing him to turn to his bunk neighbor. The prince contorted his face as if to ask what. The look of surprise must have shown because Rai grinned again. Answering the whistle the door to the barracks swung open with three guys rushing in. Lelouch identified them as his squad mates. Not wasting the element of surprise they ran over and pinned Lelouch to the bed.

"What's going on? Get off of me damn it," Lelouch yelled in vain as they picked him up. Rai just stood up shaking his head.

"I knew you were going to want to come but this is tradition. Sorry White-Five but you are just going to have to trust your squad," Rai apologized without a hint of sincerity. Lelouch scowled at the men.

They wouldn't dare try this if they knew he was a prince. Lelouch had to force himself to cut that line of thought. The easy way out might have been appealing but not as rewarding. He had managed up until now without relying on his heritage he would be damned if he didn't last through the end of training. If Milly had seen his dilemma she just would've said he was being stubborn and should use everything at his disposal.

He was going to have to humor them for now. If he played along he might have a chance for escape later. He had an inkling to find out what this tradition was. There was little chance it would be degrading to him. It wouldn't make sense for the cadets to pick on each other when they had a drill sergeant to do it for them.

After a bit of smooth talking the prince managed to convince his squad mates that carrying him out of the base would probably look suspicious. Lelouch was surprised when they just walked out of the base. He thought for sure someone would try to stop them. He had imagined a number of escape attempts but walking out the front was not among them.

They hadn't walked too far from the base before they hit their destination. Lelouch chuckled as they stood in front of a bar. If Rai hadn't been pushing Lelouch probably would've stood out in front all night. Rai steered the prince over to a table and ordered a round of mixed drinks for the squad. They all gave a toast to their generous leader before deciding to fan out and chase skirts leaving Rai and Lelouch alone. Lelouch couldn't help but scoff at the lightheartedness of the men despite the fact that the results of a life changing test was in the air.

"See Lelouch. Nothing bad. On the last official day of training, after everything is done the instructors look the other way while the cadets go out and have a drink. It's better than sitting in the barracks all day worrying which of us passed," Rai explained.

Lelouch could see the logic in his argument. The prince might have been one of the only soldiers not nervous. He knew he would pass and start his service soon like he knew the sun would rise in the morning.

"Wouldn't it be better to celebrate after the graduation?"

"This is mostly just to take your mind off of the test. I'm sure you have nothing to worry about with your talent but for the others it isn't such a sure thing. They have the same shot at the KMC as a flip of the coin. Besides it is always funny watching the ones that can't hold their liquor stumble on graduation," Rai joked. Lelouch laughed but determined not to be one of those people.

"You do know I'm a minor right?"

"Yes but don't say that too loud and they won't ID you. You need to loosen up a bit bud. You're as stiff as a statue right now. Just down your drink and try and have fun. I won't steer you wrong."

Lelouch smiled at his friend before taking a sip of the drink. The bitter taste cause him to grimace as he felt the alcohol burn down his throat. Rai laughed at his obvious discomfort. The taste wasn't the only reason Lelouch didn't like alcohol. He disliked the effect it had on him more than anything. Even the most intelligent people would become bumbling nitwits if they drank too much. Many people would say whatever came to mind without any sort of filter. Lelouch valued self control far too much to get drunk. This however was a special occasion. Lelouch didn't want to seem pretentious by refusing Rai so one or two drinks wouldn't hurt him.

"Hey kid look sharp, we have targets at ten o'clock. I'm going to need a wingman," Rai smiled as he stood from his chair. Lelouch turned to see him saunter over to a group of three attractive girls. Rai waved him over. Lelouch sighed as he walked over to join his friend.

After what seemed to be an eternity of boring conversation Lelouch excused himself to get some fresh air. As he stepped outside the cool brisk air cut through his military uniform chilling his bones. It was rare for Pendragon to be chilled. The icy wind was refreshing to Lelouch and alerted the senses. If the prince had been by himself it would've been serene.

Alas that was not to be. A group of three men were surrounding a single girl hollering about trying to get her into the bar with them. It was obvious from the girl's stance that she wanted nothing to do with the men. Lelouch had intended to let things run their course before she made eye contact. Her brown eyes dilated slightly before turning back her attention to the other men. Lelouch couldn't help but curse the situation. He had seen that expression enough from Milly to know what it meant. Help me.

He had to remember to blame his mom for raising him to be chivalrous. It was about to bite him hard as he walked towards the woman.

"Hey babe we were waiting for you inside," Lelouch called out breaking into the encirclement. He slung his arm over her shoulder which was easy due to her short stature. He hoped the display wasn't overstepping his bounds but to convince these types of brutes he needed to be blunt. She simply smiled and walked on with her new escort. The brutes looked dumbfounded as a soldier took away their pray. They were hesitant to try and stop him however with little doubt he knew hand to hand combat. It was unfortunate that a fifth guy had to join the party just as Lelouch had ushered her out of the circle towards the bar.  
The boy that had come up to Lelouch was taller than himself by an inch or two with short blond hair. His build was slim and wouldn't be considered dangerous under normal circumstances, but the glare from the boy's blue eyes were threatening. Lelouch glared as the boy stopped in front of him.

"Yuki what's going on? You were supposed to meet me fifteen minutes ago," the blond said to the girl Lelouch was escorting. The prince sighed as he noticed the brutes surround the three of them. Chances of escaping without a physical altercation were slim. The prince might have been able to play it off like the boy was confused but didn't know how the girl would react.

"What are you three having us on? We don't take kindly to being lied to like that girly. You and your pretty boyfriend better have a good explanation," one of the brutes demanded. It was too late to leave now. The odds of three on one didn't do the prince any favors. He also couldn't account for what would happen with the blond. To top it off he would have to protect Yuki. Sometimes life just didn't seem fair.

Lelouch pre empted the oncoming fight by striking one of them with a kick to the balls. He went down hard.

"Kid get Yuki out of here and call for a Rai to go outside he'll know," Lelouch commanded as he focused on the two enemies in front of him. The boy didn't hesitate to grab Yuki's hand and lead her inside. He exhaled in relief at clearing the board of unnecessary pieces. Now he just had to defeat the ones in front of him and the task at hand would be cleared.

The brute that came at him first charged with a haymaker. Lelouch sidestepped before sweeping the legs out from under him. He hit the ground with a thud but Lelouch couldn't reposition himself before the last thug tackled him. The brute ganged the upper hand on the prince constricting his arms in a bear hug. Lelouch delivered a few elbows to the man's squishy stomach but couldn't do enough damage to force a release.

It took a moment for the other two to get up but they did to Lelouch's displeasure. He was caught like a rabbit and they were sure to pay back his shots with interest. Lelouch braced himself for a blow that didn't come.

Rai had arrived in the nick of time jumping on the two men. Lelouch took advantage of the distraction and rammed his head against his holders. He heard a snap as the man let go. The man that had just been headbutted was bleeding profusely through a crooked nose, no doubt broken from the blow. Lelouch quickly retreated to Rai and the two were back to back encircled by the three men who were taking their time approaching the duo.

"Took you long enough. I was afraid you'd gotten lost," Lelouch jibbed. He was thankful that Rai had come to his defense. It might have gotten ugly otherwise.  
"Hey I saved your ass didn't I. Besides you were the one that got me into this. There were two beauties in there that would have loved your company but no you have to go and play Mr. Hero for a random girl."

"That's what friends are for right?"

"Was it just too much to ask for a simple night of drinking and flirting."

"I suppose so. You take the two."

"Don't make it too easy on me jerk," Rai complained as he launched himself at one. Rai had been a smart fighter and knew he had to make his first shot count. He roundhouse kicked one in the face who went down like a sack of potatoes. The second one tried to jump Rai but the soldier grabbed his arm and flipped him over his shoulder. Both of them would stay down for some time.

Lelouch had been a bit more ruthless in his fight. After dodging the brutes first punch Lelouch reciprocated with a jab to the broken nose. It caused the man to slam his eyes shut in pain while the prince kneed him in the stomach. As he was falling Lelouch caught the brute by the collar of his shirt.

"Take your friends and go now or it is going to get messy," the prince threatened and he meant every word of it. It was the most important part of any threat. He had to make sure the statement would be taken serious and without reproach. The thug noticing his semi-unconscious friends collected them before exiting from sight. The soldier's slapped hands reveling in their victory when the Eleven and Blonde came out of the bar.

"You guys are alright?" the blonde asked. The teen didn't look worried but he could be asking for his girl friend's sake. Rai answered before Lelouch.  
"Of course. We are Britannian military and on top of that we are going to be knights!" Rai exclaimed. It seemed like the self proclaimed knight was boasting a little too much. Knights from legend tending to be a lot more humble and self effacing. He wasn't wrong though. Nobody would expect a couple of street thugs to best any trained soldier let alone knight candidates. Britannia only took the best soldiers to be knights. You had to be a paragon of fitness and intelligence to be considered for training. Added in with the fact that regular citizens could achieve knighthood and they were considered heroes across the nation.  
The girl worked her way over to Lelouch.

"Thank you for saving me," she mumbled looking down. Lelouch wore a half smile at the response before addressing both of them.

"It wasn't much trouble. However while I must thank you for alerting my friend you need to pay better attention to the situation. If you hadn't reared into the conversation there wouldn't have been any altercation at all," Lelouch attacked the boy. It might have just been a misunderstanding but this could've caused more trouble than it did. He wanted the boy to at least apologize for his actions.

"I didn't know what was going on. For all I knew you were one of them," the teen accused back at Lelouch. Lelouch handled the confrontation in stride.  
"Then what would you have done if I was. Would you have fought me? You would have been outnumbered four to one and been destroyed."

"Hey hey none of that happened now did it," Rai interjected. "It all turned out fine so let's not start something here now."

"Fine I'm going to close our tab and head back to base."

"I'll head back with you in a sec," Rai said as Lelouch left.

"What's his problem?"

"Far too much. He did bring up a good point though. Is this girl important to you," he asked the teen. The teen looked from side to side before nodding with a slight blush. "Then you're going to have to learn how to protect her. While my friend might not have been the most cordial if he hadn't been here the night would have turned out much differently. If you have something you want to protect then you have to make damn sure you can protect it. Take defense classes or join the military it doesn't matter what route you take just don't let yourself be caught helpless again. Catch you later kid," Rai concluded as Lelouch walked out. As they began the trek back to the base the kid yelled out to get their attention.

"I'm not a kid. My name is Gino," the teen proclaimed. The soldiers just waved him off with smirks and continued on.

The duo walked in silence for a moment before a question hopped into the prince's head. "Is that the reason you joined the military? You have something you want to protect."

"Ha ha you heard that huh." The boy laughed almost tripping over himself. Lelouch looked at him expectantly. "No I suppose I don't have something to protect. It's more of something I want to achieve."

The answer had piqued Lelouch's interest. Most soldier's he had known gave the generic answers. To show the world the might of Britannia. To prove the superiority of the motherland. For the glory of the empire. They were all cookie cutter answers for those who lacked ambition. Yes, Lelouch wanted all of the above but he also wanted to become a high ranking pilot. He wanted to become a general or a station equal to a knight of the round. He wanted to become a legend equal to The Flash.

"I want to become a noble and not just a non hereditary title. I want to move past knight and into Baron."

"A lofty goal. Land and titles have been conferred unto commoners for extremely beneficial service to the empire. The emperor must ordain it himself."

"Yeah that's right. You seem to know quite a bit about it. I'm assuming you're the son of a noble," Rai confirmed. Lelouch cursed in his head. He had let his guard down and revealed too much. While it wasn't something he wanted to keep from Rai it was more of the principle of the matter. He could not afford to let himself reveal anything, even if by accident. It would invite sloppy behavior in the future which would cause trouble. He decided to fold this one and come clean about who he was.

"Yeah you could say that. I haven't told you my full name yet have I?" the prince asked knowing the answer. If he had told anyone his real name they would never had treated him like any other guy. His squad certainly wouldn't have dragged him to the bar tonight.

"No, it's fine if you don't want to tell. I had a feeling you were someone special when you told me that you were only seventeen going into knightmare training. I couldn't imagine how difficult it could be to leave the shadow of your name behind. With people knowing you as your surname before the person you actually are." Lelouch was a little shocked at how accurate Rai had been. Living up to the noble name was always a stress on any child. Many would be seen as unworthy until they did something of national note. It could be a very judgmental life. Everyone would always hold you to the gold standard and would constantly compare their children to each other.

"You are actually pretty close to the mark. I've made it one of my ambitions to become a good enough pilot and general that when they think of my name they don't automatically think of my mother. But I suppose I should introduce myself," Lelouch said extending his hand forward. "My name is Lelouch vi Britannia."  
Rai stood quiet unable to speak. The prince knew this would happen. Most people never met royalty personally and to meet a member in training was almost unthinkable. The young man was probably combing over everything he ever said and did to the prince to apologize for.

"To think the prince of the empire was the boy who almost snuck into the kitchen because he was positive they were hoarding the good food for themselves," Rai joked. Lelouch laughed at the jab. The food they served at training wouldn't be qualified to be called slop. The prince had almost gone into the kitchen to demand something edible before Rai stopped him. "You're not going to make me start calling you your highness are you?"

Lelouch chuckled as he thought about. Would he? Probably not. The prince had always had a slight distaste for formality something most royals didn't share. While he would demand respect in public and on the battlefield there would be no further need for kowtowing.

"No. You may still refer to me as the ace pilot that demolishes you in combat." The soldiers laughed together.

"Laugh it up. I'm going to beat you some day. Now let's head back to base before more trouble finds us your princliness."

The prince nodded as he followed behind the older boy. His reaction had been unexpected but a welcome surprise. Rai hadn't been undaunted by the change in status and reacted like he would've normally instead of putting on airs. The prince felt a certain amount of trust for his squad commander. If he had anything to say about it their time spent together would not come to an end after graduation.

* * *

Author Note: Yes Gino goes into the military academy around the same time as Lelouch. He is about a year younger than Lelouch so when he turned seventeen Gino would be sixteen and joining the military. Before you ask Gino still has a soft spot for numbers.  
Everything has been lighthearted right now which is something that I plan to change as the story continues. Since this is more like a series than a book it is divided into arcs. Predictably the pre-war arcs are fluffy while the grittier stuff will come later. I know it's a little different from the Code Geass feel which had action and suspense going from episode one but I had to lay a base so I hope you understand. Also if you notice any grammatical errors I apologize but I only skim the chapters before posting them so I do miss things. If you have any questions or comments feel free to review or pm me. Thanks for reading and I hoped you enjoyed the update.

Disclaimer: I do not own Code Geass. If I did I would've pasted my face on Cheese-kun


	12. You just got Punk'd

It was finally the time all the recruits had been waiting for. Graduation. It was a shame that barely half of the cadets managed to pass. Lelouch sat in the front of the stage with twenty one other nervous cadets. He couldn't help but reflect on how he came to the verge of finishing the training program.

The trainees had been anxious that morning. It was the last official day of training. They hadn't known what to expect before sergeant Andover started pulling people out one by one. It hadn't lessened the tension, especially when the first people pulled hadn't come back. The men couldn't help but picture one final surprise test that the sergeant would instigate. The idea was plausible with how the sergeant behaved. He had consistently pulled random tests on them to make sure they were prepared for any situation. Lelouch wouldn't put it past the man to try and mess with them at least one more time. The prince slumped on his bed waiting for the sergeant to do his worst.

After a nightmarish wait Lelouch was left with only one other cadet in the barracks. Rai had already disappeared outside after being called by the sergeant. The look his friend had sent him, as he walked with Andover, was one of fear mixed with excitement. The prince empathized with the feeling when the drill sergeant had come for him. It was a little strange thinking he wouldn't see the barracks again although he didn't feel any nostalgia like at Ashford. With notable exception of meeting Rai, this place had been a hellhole to Lelouch, and he would be happy to never think of it again.

He entered the office to be confronted by Andover with two other military officials. They were both a little older but seemed to be important. Lelouch sat down when they offered and let them speak their piece. He was told that his final scores had been enough to warrant his ascension into knighthood. A smirk appeared on his face as they outlined how the ceremony would go later in the afternoon. He tried to read Andover's face to be met with an impassive gaze that would impress the prime minister. The man could have a future in politics after he was done with the military. He left the office with his things and went to change into formal attire while dialing his mother to tell her the good news.

After a few unsuccessful attempts the prince hung up the phone and shoved it in his pocket. It was unlike Marianne to not answer. She might not have been like the girl's at Ashford, who were constantly texting on their phones, but this was the first time Lelouch had even heard his mother's voicemail box. He could only head into the graduation chambers.

When Lelouch had entered the room he was taken aback by the sight. The ceremony had more pomp and flare than the prince had been expecting. There were multiple video cameras along with a large crowd. The stage was bigger than he had expected with an enormous Britannian flag hanging in the background.

The flag was an intricate piece of Britannian history. It had a blue background with a red cross dividing it into quarters. In the middle was a crest wearing a crown and laurel wreath, featuring a lion and snake. Many scholars had tried to analyze the meaning of the flags but most just spouted the same tired Darwinist phrases. They would say it meant the strong devour the weak with the lion representing the strong while the snake meant to devour. In truth that was only part of the puzzle. Schneizel had informed the younger prince about the other lesser known meaning.

While the lion did represent power people tended to misinterpret the snake. A snake was known to devour but its main characteristics were cunning and ambition. The snake was nothing if not pragmatic. To show them of equal height on the flag was to condone victory by any means necessary. The end justified the means and if power couldn't deliver victory then one would turn to resourcefulness.

Both animals were hunters and yet they accomplished their goals in different ways. The true Britannian could play in either fashion, as the strong lion or the manipulative snake. It might just have been his brother's theory but Lelouch could see the logic behind his words.

Lelouch took brisk steps passing by plenty of people as he plopped onto his assigned seat at the end of the first row. There was little chance that the people here were just family and friends. There were too many. Either there was to be a guest speaker for the ceremony or someone had found out he was a prince.

A lump had appeared in his throat at the thought of the latter. He hadn't specifically ordered Rai not to tell anyone about how he was a prince so there might've been a chance he told some of the others. Lelouch frowned realizing his mistake.

He wondered if this was an insight to Rai's true character. The prince didn't need soldiers who would be hounds for the media, but somehow thinking of Rai like that seemed, off. The prince thought he had a good read on his squad mate. The white haired boy didn't act like the type to go about gossiping.

There were positives about the whole circus. It meant Nunnally and Euphy might get a chance to see him on tv. Then again they wouldn't know the day he was graduating so they probably wouldn't even know. He had forgotten to phone Jeremiah to relay him the news. It was past that chance now so there was no reason to reflect on it. It was just about time for the ceremony to start.

One of the officers Lelouch had spoken to earlier approached the podium on center stage. He looked like a grizzled old veteran. His hair was gray and he was missing a part of his nose while sporting an eye patch. He had numerous medals pinned to his chest to show what he had received for his sacrifices.

"I'd like to welcome all of the family and friends gathered here today to celebrate the acceptance of these men into the knightmare core. It is a prestigious honor only given to those stout of heart. Those few men who can wade through that which would break lesser men and come out better for it.

Today we have a guest speaker that truly knows the rigors of knightmare based warfare. She is one of the top pilots and has commanded more victories than any other person in history. It is my great pleasure to introduce her Majesty, Empress Vi Britannia."

A roar went through the crowd at Lelouch's heart fell to the ground. This couldn't be happening. He imagined a camera zooming in on his face with some dude yelling out he'd 'been 'punked'. Alas it was not to be. A group of men escorted a sole woman onto the stage. There could be no mistaking that visage. Mostly because if he grew his hair out he'd be the striking image of his mother.

She walked with a dignity most didn't possess, accented by her military uniform. To see her was to be in awe of her. Lelouch had always been envious of his mother for that. While he had to use logic and skills to shine, his mother simply had to be.

Marianne adjusted the microphone on the podium as her eyes scanned the crowd. She gave a light smile as her eyes met her son's. Lelouch broke contact first looking away to his fellow graduates. All of them were enraptured, even Rai.

"Thank you. I am pleased to be celebrating the graduation of the future knight of Britannia. These men should all take pride in their hard work and discipline that led them to this stage. To be a Britannian knight is to be among the most elite units in the world. But what exactly is a knight?

A knight is a paragon of the Britannian military. They exemplify what is best in our society. A knight is brave, a person that will stand against millions if need be. A knight is just, a person that will always keep to their moral code. A knight is humble, a person who understands their limitations. A knight is strong, a person who can refine themselves into a weapon and force their will upon others.

These men have been judged and found not to be wanting. As in accordance with the most noble and ancient tradition, the men before you will become knights in name and station. Rise and come before me," Marianne ordered. She raised her hand for dramatic effect and the crowd went nuts.

The graduates all stood and formed a line. Naturally Lelouch was at the back of the line. He wasn't sure if it was because of his last name or executive meddling.

Only one cadet would be allowed on stage at a time with the others waiting by the ramp up to the stage. The recruits would kneel before the empress and say the words. When they had finished Marianne would touch their shoulders with a blade and dub them Sir whatever their name.

Lelouch couldn't help but chuckle in the back when he saw his mother's assistant. She was off to the side, out of view to the cameras. If Marianne hadn't habitually glanced over to her as the recruits approached the empress, the prince might not have noticed. The assistant had been holding signs of the name for whatever individual had come on stage.

His mother had always been awful with remembering names. Marianne tended to stick with a person title or pronouns. It didn't help that outside of family and the knights of the round everyone around her constantly changed. Lelouch had yet to see an assistant make it through a year of service. It was always the same reason too. The servant would accept an invitation to something the empress didn't want to go to. Lelouch would have almost expected that was what had happened here, if he wasn't present.

No, his mother had definitely planned this out. She had a telling glint in her eye. The type of sparkle a person only gets when a plan goes perfectly right. It was an expression he was fond of himself but disliked seeing in others. Especially Schniezel.

After waiting for the better part of an hour all of the cadets in front of him had become knights. All of them either looked completely emotionless or were beaming. Rai had been one of the latter. The blonde boy gave Lelouch a subtle thumbs-up as the prince made his way onto the stage.

Lelouch reached the end of the red carpet that led to his mother. He couldn't help making eye contact with her before kneeling. It was considered a breach of etiquette to look upon your lord's face before knighting but Lelouch didn't care. He sank to one knee and bent his head as tradition demanded.

He could feel his mother's gaze bore into the top of his head. She was enjoying this far too much. Lelouch had never been one for basking in the spotlight. For a common blood royalty to bring attention to yourself was practically asking for harassment. While Lelouch wouldn't mind destroying most of the other royals, it wasn't prudent to engage them all at once.

His mother shared a different opinion of being a celebrity. Marianne had been the star of Britannia for quite some time. Military matters were constantly the headlines on the news and Marianne frequently was the cover story.

After seeing the achievements of the new weapon the knightmare frame the pilots were plastered over all the recruitment ads. A regular citizen couldn't go two days without seeing Marianne or Bismarck.

If that wasn't enough the emperor had also taken an interest in her. Rumors of the whirlwind romance and subsequent marriage had vaunted Marianne's name to legendary status. Not only was she the original pilot for the knightmares turned knight of the round, but she also was one of three commoners to become royalty in Britannian history.

Thus Marianne was quite comfortable with the exposure. The only problem was the royal families that were nobility before marriage to the emperor were disgruntled by the attention the commoners were getting. They used to call them the Cinderella story. It was funny that most of them didn't understand if the vi Britannia line was Cinderella then they were the evil step family.

Marianne didn't take the nickname with grace. Turning the other cheek was not exactly a common practice in Britannia. So what did the empress do? Would she beat the stuffing out of them or demolish their homes with her knighmare?

Nope. Marianne decided to get them where it would hurt the most. Their pride. Now she actively cultivated her image, announcing wherever she would go so the media would be ready. Every front page story was a slap in the face to the nobles with prejudices against her. Meanwhile a good deal of the nobility had jumped on the bandwagon and supported the upstart empress. Now, in front of everyone, she was doing it again. Using this ceremony to display the promising star of the vi Britannia line, Lelouch.

"Lelouch vi Britannia, will you, upon this day, pledge fealty to Britannia? To become her knight and champion?" the empress asked. Both the empress and prince had kept their faces blank at the announcement of his name. They were the only ones in the room who could say that.

A collective gasp echoed through the room as the prince's name was mentioned. The cameras zoomed in capturing the mother and son. There were even a few flashes from pictures being taken.

"Yes, your Highness," Lelouch answered. His voice was composed despite the chaos around him. Lelouch had half a mind to stop and try and get people thrown out, but that wouldn't look good on video. He could just imagine the backlash and headlines, _Common Prince rejects roots_.

"Will you become her sword and strike those who would oppose her? Will you become her shield and defend her with your life?" She asked. At this point the answers were automatic.

"Yes, Your Highness."

"Your sword," Marianne whispered holding out her hand.

Lelouch slid the ceremonial blade out of its scabbard. Before the ceremony all the cadets had received similar blades and were instructed to only draw it when asked. It was a thin piece of metal meant only for cosmetic purposes. If you tried to slash with it you were more likely to bend the blade than cut the target. Most soldiers would hang it above a fireplace or another place of honor.

She took the handle of the sword before raising it up to her face. The sword cut her smile in half. She lowered the blade tapping the left shoulder, followed by the right and top of his head.

"I dub thee Sir Lelouch vi Britannia, knight of the realm. Rise young knight. Go forth and do thy bidding of the empire," the empress announced.

The prince rose to thunderous applause stashing the sword by his waist. He turned on his heel and joined his fellow knights in line. The empress officially presented the 87th Knightmare Corps to the audience. The cameras that were taping in the back closed up on the faces of the men, stopping on Lelouch.

With a wave of her hand Marianne dismissed the troop off stage and to their families. Lelouch was the only one to remain on the platform. If he left there was no doubt he would be mobbed by the crowd. Instead he leveled his gaze at his mother and followed her backstage.

He had intended to ask her what the hell she was doing when he was crushed by her embrace. He felt all of the air leave his body as he struggled to get free. Marianne strength was such she could make a bear cry in one of her hugs.

He was startled that his mother would show affection in public. Even if they weren't currently on display this was considered public by royal standard. It wasn't as if she had never hugged him in public before but he was much younger then. Once you hit a certain age outward displays of love were squashed under a masquerade of elegance.

"I'm so proud of you. I just wish your sisters could have attended. No need for you to worry though, the camera crew is giving me a recording of the ceremony," Marianne exclaimed. It was a far cry from the conversation they had when he had told her he wanted to become a knight.

* * *

It was rare for Lelouch to ask Marianne for midday tea. Then again it was rare for Lelouch to be home at midday. The teen had not stopped his gambling ways just because he was home. The boy thought he was clever enough to escape the villa but Marianne always noticed.

She approved of the hobby though. It was strange to say that any mother would approve of her son gambling. It might've been a different story if he actually lost, but to the best of her knowledge he had won every bet he had made, accruing a decent sum of money for himself. It was a good thing he never made a wager against Schneizel.

The sun was blazed far too bright today for the empress's liking. She was glad her son was waiting for her under the gazebo instead of out on the porch. With their pasty complexions they both would have roasted before too long.

Lelouch sat alone at the table stirring the spoon in his cup. He stood from his chair as she approached as any proper gentleman should. It tipped his hand.

The prince had never been one to maintain formality in private. The practice had been an insistence of hers. After all if the children were formal in private they would assuredly be formal in public. She made them adhere to it for a few years before trusting them to act with decorum in various situations. The children had dropped the formality at home with posthaste.

Now that he was acting formal with her it meant one of three things. He had gotten himself into trouble, he was asking for something, or he wanted to convey utter sincerity.

He greeted her before pouring a cup of tea. She accepted it graciously smelling the jasmine tea as it crossed her palms. Lelouch was buttering her up with her favorite tea. They sat for a moment in comfortable silence sipping tea and nibbling on muffins before the prince spoke up.

"Mother I've decided to enlist in the military and become a KMF pilot," Lelouch declared. There was no reluctance in his voice. If there had been Marainne would've attacked it, forcing her son to see reason.

She had been surprised, but anyone would have. Few members of royalty were ever knighted. It was often seen as pointless considering it wasn't required to become a general in the military. Cornelia was the head of the regular army herself and she was never knighted.

Only the heirs who were so far from the throne that a giant bomb would have to level Pendragon for them to become emperor would even think about becoming knights. The reason was simple. All knights were not only risking themselves on the front lines, but they also vowed to protect the emperor. Protect not become. Essentially it was a death sentence to the hope of becoming emperor.

"You do understand what you are saying correct?" Marianne asked. The intensity in her gaze was daunting. It was as if she was looking through him, searching for an answer.

Lelouch gave a curt nod to which the empress sighed. She had always held the secret hope that her son would put his brilliance to use in the game of thrones. There were only a few power players in the royal children and as of now the title of true heir was still up for grabs. She was positive that with Lelouch's talent and brains he could be victorious among all the candidates. There was only one real question to ask.

"Why?"

Lelouch might be old enough to make life decision for himself, but Marianne needed to know the reason he had chosen this path. She could not, in good conscious, support him without an adequate answer.

Lelouch bit his tongue for a moment. It was the one question he knew his mother would have. It was the one question he had been preparing himself for.

"I could give the generic answer. To show Britannia greatness or other rubbish along those lines. I could even spout that Darwinism mantra that the emperor seems so attached to. That's probably all I'm going to hear from the others."

"If I had to say one thing I'm fighting for it's Nunnally and Euphy. I don't like how the world is. I don't like the empire's motto. If the strong are the only ones that survive what will happen to Euphy and Nunnally? They'll be cast aside. I am going to make sure that doesn't happen. For that I'll need power. More than the power of a mere prince. The power only those in the military have," Lelouch finished. Leave it to the prince to do anything to accommodate his sisters. Marianne wondered if he even realized how much he doted on them.

"What about the emperor? You know you'll be pledging service to him," Marianne countered. That would be the crux of it all. Lelouch's dislike of his father was no secret to Marianne. The prince would have trouble swearing loyalty to him.

"I see it more as swearing an oath to Britannia more than the emperor. It is more of the throne I am protecting. After all he won't be emperor forever."

Marianne could accept that answer.

* * *

After an eventful day all Lelouch wanted to do was faceplant into his pillow and have his dreams whisk him away. Unfortunately for the prince he still had a final thing to finish. He pulled out his new phone he had bought and reached for his old contact information from his bag.

The phone rang a few times before a sweet voice answered on the other end.

"Hello?"

"Hey Euphy it's Lelouch. Nunnally wouldn't happen to be with you would she?"

"Yeah she's here. I'm not sure if she wants to speak to you though. We haven't heard a word from you in over a month!" the pink haired princess complained.

"Sorry about that, I guess I should explain. Put me on speaker so Nunnally doesn't headbutt you while trying to listen," the prince commanded.

Despite their sly attempts Lelouch had heard the two sets of breathing on the phone. Either Euphy had just come back from running and was exhausted, or Nunnally was listening too. The princess huffed before clicking the intercom button.

"Thanks. I apologize for my lack of contact recently but it has been for a good reason. Do you both remember how I had told you both about how I was joining the military once I graduated?" He waited for a reply but received silence so he continued. "Well I decided to graduate early and go straight into the military. That's why I haven't been able to call. I was in training."

The princesses unleashed a barrage of criticisms at him. He didn't even know where they had learned such creative insults. He might've slightly underestimated how much they enjoyed attending school with him.

"Are you both finished?" the prince asked exasperated by their response. He hadn't made the call to only catch up. He had something important he needed to tell them.

Nunnally grumbled in the background about a stupid, insensitive, aloof brother while Euphy huffed out a continue. A knot furled in Lelouch's stomach knowing he was about to take the brunt of their anger.

"Like I was saying before now that I have finished training I am to be deployed," Lelouch explained. He could hear the nothing on the other line. They all knew what it meant. Their brother was not going to be home for a long time.

Tours could last anywhere from six months to a couple of years. The only time they were shorter was when Britannia managed to demolish their foes. Depending on where he was shipped it was a possibility. If he wasn't stationed by the EU or the Chinese Federation there was a good chance he wouldn't be gone long.

Euphy mustered up the courage to ask first. "Where are you being sent?"

"North Africa," Lelouch uttered with the solemnity of an epithet.

The two sisters had polar responses. Nunnally had rejoiced not noticing the inflection in her brother's voice. As far as she knew it was a win. Lelouch had not been sent directly into the EU or China, so the odds of him coming back soon were good. The youngest sister jumped on the bed while the older one sat holding the phone.

She knew the implications of what her half-brother had really said. Despite the fact that Euphy had held the military with less esteem than her older sister, that didn't stop Cornelia from constantly informing her about the status of the military.

The young chief would occasionally tell her sister opinions on some soldiers. She would normally go on rants about some members of the knights of the round. She didn't like most of them simply because they could circumvent any order she gave them. They were wildcards directly under the control of the emperor.

Her sister consistently mentioned two in particular. Nonette Enneagram was one such focus of her sister's ire.

That relationship had gone back years to when Cornelia was in military school and Nonette was her senior. Euphy had never seen her sister openly fear anyone other than Marianne until then. The other woman had a knack for aggravating her sister but was one of the few people Cornelia wouldn't dare to retaliate against. A list of people that only included Marianne and the Emperor himself.

It didn't take long to find out why. Nonette was simply the best at everything she had put her mind to, at least according to Cornelia. During their whole tenure at school the soon to be Goddess of Victory didn't manage to glean a single win against her senior. From what she had been told by Lelouch there hadn't been a discrete amount of challenges. An easy way to ensure a foul mood from Cornelia was to simply mention Nonette, a fact Lelouch had enjoyed entirely too much.

Cornelia had bided her time in hopes of becoming the commander of her rival. Then before Cornelia was named general Nonette got herself promoted to the knight of nine. However Nonette was nothing compared to the other knight.

The knight of ten was quickly becoming infamous throughout Britannia. His operations were held as the highest casualty battle throughout the world. The man didn't accept surrender from his enemies or his subordinates. To show a white flag on either side was to put yourself in the knight's crosshairs.

He had earned the moniker Vampire of Britannia due to the fact he was always surrounded by blood. He would hold the lines until reinforcement would arrive instead of regrouping to save soldiers. He had never lost a battle though even with extremely high cost. His methods didn't matter to most. Winning was everything in Britannia and so long as Luciano Bradley won he would not be held accountable for his crimes. Only those that had family who served under him would have a true opinion of the man.

Those were the two commanders in the North Africa area claim. There was only one more question to ask. The princess had to pry her hand from her mouth to get out the question. It was as if her own body was trying to stop her from learning the answer.

"Who is your commander?" Euphy quivered, failing to keep the dread out of her voice. If there was any mercy in this world she prayed her gut was wrong.

"Luciano Bradley."

* * *

Author Note: I'm not dead! Although it has been far too long since my last update and I apologize profusely. I am very excited that I am finally done with the buildup. The pace is going to be ramped up and there will be more enticing chapters kind of like this one.

Also in terms of unit size for knightmares there are 4 to 5 soldiers in a team. 8 to 15 soldiers in a squad. 16 to 40 soldiers in a platoon. 50 to 150 in a company. 200 to 500 in a battalion. 600 to 1000 in a division. Most Areas have a single battalion stationed there unless they are an invading territory.

Disclaimer: I do not own Code Geass. If I did I would have Tamaki play the lottery and win cause he is the luckiest dude on the show… followed by him getting struck by lightning.


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